Charles Frank "Chic" Burlingame III (September 12, 1949 – September 11, 2001) was the Captain of American Airlines Flight 77, the aircraft that was crashed by terrorists into the Pentagon during the September 11 attacks.
Charles Burlingame | |
|---|---|
 Burlingame in the 1990s | |
| Born | Charles Frank Burlingame III September 12, 1949 St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | September 11, 2001 (aged 51) |
| Cause of death | Plane crash |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Education | U.S. Naval Academy (BS) |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Spouse | Sheri Burlingame |
| Relatives | Debra Burlingame (sister) |
| Military career | |
| Service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1971–1996 |
Biography
editBurlingame was born on September 12, 1949, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to parents Charles F. "Chuck" Burlingame Jr. and Patricia Ann Burlingame (née Meyer).[citation needed] He moved frequently as a son of an active-duty member of the United States Air Force, spending parts of his childhood in California and England.[1] Burlingame graduated from Anaheim High School, California, in 1967. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, where he achieved its highest rank, Eagle Scout.[2]
Burlingame graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1971.[3] In the Navy, upon receiving his naval aviator wings, he flew F-4 Phantom jets in Fighter Squadron 103 (VF-103) on board USS Saratoga. He was an honor graduate of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) at NAS Miramar, California. In 1979, Burlingame left active duty with the Navy and transferred to the U.S. Navy Reserve, and started to work for American Airlines. He volunteered to be activated during the Gulf War.[1] He also spent time working in The Pentagon, while in the Naval Reserve.[4]
Burlingame retired from the Navy Reserve as a captain in 1996 and continued to work for American Airlines.[5]
Burlingame appeared on the gameshow Greed March 10, 2000 winning $10,000.
He was married to an American Airlines flight attendant, Sheri Burlingame.[6] They lived in Oak Hill, Virginia.[7]
Death
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Burlingame was the captain of American Airlines Flight 77, with First Officer David Charlebois, when it was hijacked and flown into the Pentagon. Unlike the other three flights, there were no reports of anyone being stabbed or a bomb threat. He might not have been murdered by the hijackers but instead shoved to the back of the plane with the rest of the passengers. Barbara Olson, a passenger on the flight, asked her husband on her mobile phone, "What do I tell the pilot to do?" suggesting that Burlingame was next to her at the back of the aircraft. He would have turned 52 the day after the incident.[8]
Burlingame was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was initially deemed ineligible for burial there because he was a reservist who died before age 60, but Burlingame was given a waiver and his case triggered reform of Arlington's burial criteria.[9] Astronaut Frank Culbertson, Burlingame's friend and classmate at the Naval Academy, who had witnessed and photographed the aftermath of the September 11 attacks from space, played taps on his trumpet at Burlingame's memorial service.[10]
At the National September 11 Memorial, Burlingame is memorialized at the South Pool, on Panel S-69.[7]
Awards and decorations
editBurlingame was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal (with one service star), the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon (with one service star), the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon, and the Navy Expert Pistol Medal.[11]
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In popular culture
edit- Burlingame appeared as a contestant on the Fox game show Greed that originally aired on March 10, 2000. He won $10,000 after challenging an opponent to a Terminator showdown.[12]
- Canadian actor Landy Cannon portrayed Burlingame in the Canadian TV series Mayday Season 16: Episode 2 (2016) called "9/11: The Pentagon Attack" and Air Crash Investigation Special Report Season 2: Episode 1 (2019) called "Headline News".
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b Nelson, Todd; Phillip Pina (September 12, 2001). "Twin Citians Mourn, Await News of Victims". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
- ^ Charles F. Burlingame III, an Eagle Scout Archived March 25, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Gottlieb, Sandra (September 12, 2001). "Local doctor's brother piloted ill-fated flight 77". Lancaster New Era.
- ^ King, Larry; Amy S. Rosenberg, Jonathan Gelb (September 13, 2001). "Pilot whose jet hit Pentagon had worked there". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ "Remembering the Pentagon Victims: Charles Burlingame". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
- ^ Levine, Susan (September 13, 2001). "Flight 77: Hope Replaced by Grief; Among the Dead From Jetliner Are Lawyers and Engineers, Couples and Children". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b Charles F. Burlingame III Archived November 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Memorial Guide: National 9/11 Memorial. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
- ^ National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (2004). "Chapter 1". 9/11 Commission Report. Government Printing Office.
- ^ dead link to U.S. House legislation Archived November 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Davenport, Christian; Vitkovskaya, Julie (June 19, 2019). "What's it really like to live in space? 50 astronauts share their stories". Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
- ^ Charles F. Burlingame III awards Archived March 25, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Greed: The Series - 10 March 2000 (full episode)". YouTube. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
External links
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