Arlington plot sought for slain pilot

WASHINGTON -- As a military man, Charles Frank Burlingame III made sure that his parents had a resting place at Arlington National Cemetery. But getting a space for him has been a struggle, even though he died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Burlingame, 51, was the pilot aboard the American Airlines jet that terrorists hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon. He flew Navy jets for eight years, served several tours at the Navy's elite Top Gun school and spent 17 years in the Naval Reserve.

He also died before age 60 -- and thus does not qualify for a separate grave at the national cemetery.

Army officials said Wednesday that Burlingame could be buried alongside his parents, or his cremated remains could be interred in the cemetery's Columbarium, with an inscribed plaque.

Neither option pleases his family. Burial with the parents means his widow, Sheri Burlingame, cannot be laid to rest beside her husband. It also means Burlingame's name will be placed on the back of the family plot marker.

Cremation was never an option, "whether he was at Arlington or some other place," said his brother, Brad Burlingame.

The family says the FBI concluded that Burlingame died of injuries sustained before the plane hit the Pentagon -- obviously a fight for his country. They want President Bush to intervene so Burlingame can, in death, receive honors that befit the way he gave his life.

"My brother died in combat with terrorists," said Brad Burlingame. "His burial treatment would be no different if he had died on his couch in his living room. Sept. 11 has played zero role in their decision."

Sen. George Allen, R-Va., asked Bush on Wednesday to sign a waiver allowing a burial plot for Burlingame, who lived in nearby Herndon, Va. It was a personal request made in a phone call to a top Bush aide, said Allen spokeswoman Carrie Cantrell.

But the White House was trying to stay out of the dispute. Presidential spokesman Ari Fleischer said Wednesday that this, like all other space management issues at Arlington, was for the Army to sort out.

"Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place where countless numbers of Americans want to be buried. Arlington National Cemetery is also a place that is running out of space," Fleischer said. "That's why the Department of Army is the one who is charged with this. They understand the sensitivities involved."

A memorial service was held for Burlingame at his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He is scheduled for burial at Arlington next Wednesday, said Barbara Owens, spokeswoman for the Military District of Washington, the command responsible for Arlington.

Brad Burlingame said the family accepted the space in the family plot and for the moment plans to proceed, but was profoundly disappointed when officials denied a request for a military jet flyover, a privilege usually reserved for those who die in combat.

"That was a final blow for us. They can't get a plane up into the air for an American hero? Something's wrong," Brad Burlingame said. "Yes, he can be buried with our mother and father, but we think he deserves more than that."

Moreover, his brother said, Charles Burlingame had clearly anticipated an Arlington burial. He arranged burials for his father, retired Master Sgt. Charles Frank Burlingame Jr., who died in 1999, and his mother, Patricia, who died 10 months before her son.

"He lived and breathed a military life," Brad Burlingame said. "Arlington was sacred ground for him. We're hoping to reach some closure with his funeral."

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright