John Burke

John Burke served in the United States Marine Corps from 1983 to 1989. As an Intelligence Specialist (0231) he served with 1st Marine Regiment and 1st Battalion, 9th Marines at Camp Pendleton, California, before guarding U.S. Embassies as a Marine Security Guard (MSG, 8151) in Guatemala City; Guatemala; Prague, Czechoslovakia; and Helsinki, Finland. After MSG duty, he served with VMFA-235 (The Death Angels) at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Following his time in uniform, John earned a B.A. in English (Summa Cum Laude) at the University of Southern Maine in his hometown of Portland, Maine, and went on to build a career in journalism, writing and corporate communications after relocating to Florida. Semper Fidelis remains more than a motto for John — it’s been the guiding compass of his life, and the spirit behind preserving the rich language and legacy of the Corps in The Devil Dog Dictionary.