Philip Raymond Burnham – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Marine Corps

From a contemporary press report:

Philip Raymond Burnham, 73, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and decorated Korean War aviator who also worked as a civilian for defense contractors, died of complications from pneumonia October 5, 1999 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

As a civilian, he was vice president and publisher of the Armed Forces Journal in Washington from 1970 to 1973. He was a senior program manager for defense contractor Flight Systems Inc. in Rosslyn from 1973 to 1984 and director of special projects for Raven Inc. in Arlington from 1984 to 1987.

Colonel Burnham spent most of his military career in fighter transport and helicopter squadrons. He served with the Marine Corps for 24 years before retiring in 1967 as commanding officer of the Air Reserve Branch of the Air Reserve Training Command at Marine Headquarters.

In the Korean War, he piloted a bent-wing Corsair with the Black Sheep Squadron 214, and he received a Distinguished Flying Cross for continuing with a bombing mission with a damaged plane.

An Alexandria resident, he was born and raised in Chicago. He graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology and received a master’s degree in business administration from George Washington University.

He was active in Republican Party politics in the 1970s and ’80s, once serving as chairman of the Mount Vernon District of the Fairfax County Republican Committee. He also did volunteer work with the Retired Officers Association and mentored high school students.

Survivors include his wife, Beverley S. Burnham of Alexandria; two children, John P. Burnham of Miami Beach and Kerrie Ann O’Hagan of Alexandria; a brother; and a sister.

BURNHAM, PHILIP R., Lt.Col. USMC

On October 5, 1999, of Alexandria, VA. Survived by his beloved wife, Beverley; his daughter, Kerrie O’Hagan of Alexandria, VA and his son, John Philip Burnham of Miami Beach, FL. A Memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, October 14, 1999 at the Fort Myer Old Post Chapel at 8:45 a.m., followed by Interment at the Arlington National Cemetery with Full Military Honors.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard