1944-1945 – Two letters from a wounded World War II soldier who would go on to serve with distinction in the House of Representatives until he self-destructed overnight by drunkenly defending a dancer’s honor in a Florida strip club

France and Germany, 1945. Envelope or Cover. Very good. These two letters were sent to a friend back home by J. Herbert Burke, an army officer assigned to the 90th Division who had landed in Normandy been wounded during the breakout through the German defenses at Saint-Lo based upon the content in one of them. As a result, Burke received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart medal. Both are in nice shape.

The earlier letter, dated 31 August 1944, is a photographic V-Mail message bearing a U.S. Postal Service No. 3 machine postmark. It was written while Burke was still recovering in the hospital; the other, a regular letter, was written a year later while he was waiting to return to the States.

They read in part:

“Come June . . . I found myself in France and with a grandstand seat for the big show. Life became one of existence . . . and it was pretty rough. Mostly our homes were foxholes rain or shine but it rains almost constantly. War is no picnic Bill. It’s hard, cruel and anything but pleasant. I had many experiences and more than once found that a prayer brought far more comfort than a rifle, but both are good to have at hand. . .. Finally my luck gave out although under the circumstances I consider myself very lucky. The result being a comfortable and the quiet cleanliness of a hospital. I’ve been here three weeks now and I’m getting on fine. . ..”

. Upon his return, Burke, a law school graduate, began his practice in Chicago. However, soon moved to Florida and became a prominent member of the state’s Republican party. He was elected to Congress in 1966 and became a productive but low-key representative.

That all changed in the early morning hours of 27 May 1978 at the Centerfold Bar in Dania, Florida, a girly club that featured naked go-go dancers. Burke, a strip club aficionado, who had more than his share to drink, took offense when another patron rushed the stage and grabbed one of the dancers. A fight ensued, police arrived, and Burke was arrested for disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. Making matters worse, he concocted a story about attempting to thwart a drug deal and then tried to intimidate the arresting officers. Not satisfied, he also accused the police of abusing and molesting him while refusing to allow him to contact a lawyer. By the time Burke sobered up the next day, his career was over. Despite being convicted, Burke ran for re-election but was defeated in an overwhelming landslide, after which he retired from politics.

His tale was fictionalized as Strip Tease, by Carl Hiaasen, and later turned into a big-budget flop of a film, Striptease, starring Burt Reynolds and Demi Moore.

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