David Arthur Burchinal – General, United States Air Force

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From a contemporary press report

David A. Burchinal, 75, a combat veteran of World War II and  former US Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff who was Deputy Chief of the US European Command when he retired as four-star general in 1973, died of cancer Aug 7, 1990 at a hospital in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.

Other assignments during his career of nearly 35 years included teaching at the Air War College and the post of Chief of Staff of the 8th Air Force. He also had been a Wing Commander with the Strategic Air Command. He served in World War II, the Korean War and in Vietnam.

Since retiring from active duty, he had worked for Northop Corporation.

His medals included two Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star, two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and three Army Commendation medals.

Apr 17, 1915-Aug 17, 1990.

He was buried with full military honors in Section 13 of Arlington National Cemetery.

Official US Air Force Biography
GENERAL DAVID A. BURCHINAL
Retired March 1, 1973, Died Aug. 17, 1990

General David A. Burchinal assumed duties as deputy commander in chief, U.S. European Command, July 28, 1966, then with headquarters at Camp Des Loges, St. Germain-en-Laye, France, and now located at Patch Barracks, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany. He came to the U.S. European Command from duty as director of the Joint Staff, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

General Burchinal was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, in 1915. He received his bachelor of arts degree in 1938 from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, where he was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He entered pilot training at Randolph Field, Texas, in June 1939, and graduated in 1940 with a commission as second lieutenant and his pilot wings. In June 1965 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws degree by Brown University. In August 1968 General Burchinal was presented an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Utah at England’s historic Cambridge University.

His first military assignment was as an observer of Army field exercises at Fort Benning, Georgia. He then became an instructor at Brooks Field, Texas. From May 2, 1940, until July 28, 1941, General Burchinal served successively as an engineering officer, transport pilot, test pilot, and assistant adjutant at the San Antonio Air Depot, Duncan Field, Texas.

He then assumed duties as aide to the commanding general of the Air Service Command at Patterson Field, Ohio, in Washington, D.C., and in London, England. In February 1943 General Burchinal became operations officer and later, deputy commander for the 330th Bombardment Group at Alamogordo, New Mexico, and Biggs Field, Texas.

Remaining at Biggs Field, he was reassigned in July 1943 to the XX Bomber Command as assistantA-3 for the 16th Bombardment Operations Training Wing. He was on this job only six months when in December 1943 he was named military air attache at Ottawa, Canada.

Culminating six months of attache duty, General Burchinal returned to the U.S. in June 1944 for duties as Wing A-3 at Headquarters 313th Bombardment Wing, Peterson Field, Colorado.

Six months later he was en route to the Pacific area as A-3 for-the 313th Bombardment Wingbased on Tinian. He later became deputy chief of staff for operations of the wing and in March 1945, became deputy A-3 Headquarters XXI Bomber Command on Guam in the Marianas Islands. In September 1945 General Burchinal became A-3 for the Twentieth Air Force and, in
November the same year, assumed duties as military analyst, U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey in Tokyo, Japan. One month later he returned to the United States.

He stayed with the War Department in Washington, D.C., until June 1946, working as research analyst, U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, and then moved to Maxwell Field, Alabama, as student and instructor on the first faculty of the Air War College. He later became assistant chief of the air strategy division in the Air War College, a job he held until called back to Washington, D.C., in March 1949.

Upon his return to Washington, D.C., General Burchinal became chief of the Program Analysis Division in the Directorate of Program Standards and Cost Control in the Office of the Comptroller, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. In April 1951 he was transferred to the Air Force Council, also in Washington, D.C., as the first secretary of the unit.

Two years later, in May 1953, he went to Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas, as commander of the 40th Bombardment Wing. In January 1954 he moved to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, as commander of the 43d Bombardment Wing. In August 1955 General Burchinal became chief of staff for Headquarters Eighth Air Force, SAC, Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts.

In November 1958 General Burchinal returned to Washington, D.C., as deputy director, J-3 (Operations), for the Joint Staff in the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was transferred to Headquarters U.S. Air Force and was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Programs, as deputy director of plans in September 1960, advanced to the director of plans in January 1961, and became deputy chief of staff for plans and programs in August 1962. He held this position, which was later redesignated deputy chief of staff for plans and operations, until February 1964. He then became director of the Joint Staff, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

General Burchinal assumed duties as deputy commander in chief, U.S. European Command in July 1966.

Military decorations awarded General Burchinal include the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal, with two oak leaf clusters.

The General’s foreign decorations include Legion d’Honeur (Commander), 1967, France, Grand Cross of Isabella Catholica, 1973, Spain; Grand Cross of the  Order of Merit with Star, Second Degree, 1973, Germany.

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