By Patrick McGroarty
News Editor

Sgt. Terrence Shane Burke, a 28 year-old Marine reservist and Boston police officer whose father, T.J., is currently the honorary Mayor of Dorchester, was seriously injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D.) in Iraq on September 5.

According to Burke's father, he lost his left leg below the knee and sustained second-degree burns and multiple bone fractures in the explosion. Burke was flown to Germany and underwent surgery before being transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas on Monday where he will undergo further treatment. He is listed in stable but guarded condition.

Burke was on a tour of duty with the Marine Reservists' First Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Fourth Marine Division. Two other Marines from Burke's unit, including 21 year-old Lance Corporal Eric P. Valdepenas of Seekonk, were killed in an attack on September 4 when a roadside bomb destroyed the vehicle in which they were riding.

Burke's unit arrived in Fallujah in March and was scheduled to return to the United States in October.

"He was telling us he was going to be in the States in three weeks," said T.J. Burke. "He'll be here a little sooner, but not the way he wanted to be."

Burke joined the Marines ten years ago after graduating from Braintree High School. After three years of service including time in Africa, he left the Marine Corps and returned to Dorchester. He worked as a laborer before joining the I.B.E.W. and working as an electrical apprentice. In 2004 he graduated from the MBTA Transit Police Academy, but was soon granted a spot in the Boston Police Academy. Burke was working as a Patrolman in South Boston's C-6 district and living in Savin Hill when he decided to re-enlist in the Marine reservists a year ago. Entering as a Corporal, he was promoted to Sergeant while serving in Iraq.

Known as "Shane" to his friends, Burke is the youngest of the six children. His father and stepmother, Joyce, live on Christopher Street. On Monday, Burke's parents flew to Texas to be with their son.

He is the second known soldier with strong ties to Dorchester to be wounded in Iraq in recent months. U.S. Army Sgt. Brian Fontaine, whose father, Boston firefighter Paul Fontaine, lives in Clam Point, lost both his legs below the knees on June 8 when an I.E.D. exploded under his Humvee truck. And U.S. Army Spc. Edgardo Zayas became the second son of Dorchester to die in Iraq on August 26 when an I.E.D. detonated near his combat patrol. A funeral was held for Zayas last Friday at the Bera Seventh Day Adventist Church on Seaver Street and he was buried at the National Military Cemetery in Bourne.

Zayas was the first Dorchester soldier to die in Iraq since U.S. Army Sgt. Danny Londono was killed in combat in March of 2004.

The recent wave of tragic news from Iraq has been unsettling for those with loved ones serving abroad, said state Senator Jack Hart, and a reminder that the war has a real impact here in Dorchester.

"In our own neighborhood, on our own streets, people are coming back maimed or disabled or not coming home at all," said Hart. "It's a wake up call for all people that a war is being fought, that these young men and women are putting their lives on the line for us. We need to do our part to honor that most important role."

Hart said that as time passes, he would make sure that Zayas is honored with a memorial similar to the "hero's square" dedicated to Londono at the corner of East Cottage and Dawes Streets.

"He should be afforded the same respect posthumously that Danny Londono has, just as every solider should," said Hart.

Dorchester will rally around injured veteran Brian Fontaine at a fundraiser Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m. at Florian Hall. The event, which will include door prizes and a raffle, will cost $20 and is being organized by firefighters from his father's unit at Rescue 2 in Egleston Square and Local 718. Mike Walsh, a local 718 member and event organizer, said that Fontaine would travel from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. for the event, and would return several days later for the next in a continuing series of surgeries.

Ninth District U.S. Congressman Stephen Lynch said on Tuesday that he was planning to attend the event. "Dorchester has a very proud tradition of military service and what we're seeing right now is that tradition has continued," said Lynch. "The sacrifice that we have seen by these families is out of patriotism and devotion to this country."

Speaking from Texas on Tuesday afternoon, T.J. Burke said that he had seen his son multiple times, and that he was still heavily sedated.

"He's gonna have to have many surgeries," said Burke. "It's gonna be a long process."

Burke said that the Boston Police Department had already expressed interest in holding a fundraiser for Shane, but that the family has asked them to wait until more is known about the severity of his injuries and the length of time he will be hospitalized. In the meantime, Burke said he and his family have been heartened by the community of other soldiers' families at the Texas hospital.

"The people here have been great, there's no question about it," said Burke. "It's like a big family group. We all have the same problem."

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Related Dorchester Reporter stories: The cost of war

Above, the April 2004 funeral of Sgt. Daniel Londono, one of two Dorchester servicemen who have been killed in action in Iraq.

Dorchester soldier killed in Iraq- Sept. 2006
Dorchester man loses feet in Iraq ambush- July 2006
Sgt. Daniel Londono's legacy- June 2004