RICHARD L. BURCHAM, CAPT, USA
Richard Burcham '42
Richard Lusk Burcham was admitted to the Naval Academy from Texas on July 8, 1938 at age 17 years 7 months.
He resigned on February 18, 1939 because he was “deficient in studies, first term’s work. Recommended to be dropped. Permitted to resign.”
Photographs
"University of Texas, Class of 1942"
Loss
Richard was lost on October 7, 1946 when the aircraft he was piloting collided with another and crashed about 30 miles southeast of Phoenix, Arizona.
Other Information
From the San Bernardino County Sun on October 8, 1946:
Army Planes Collide In Flight; Two Killed
WILLIAMS FIELD, Ariz., Oct. 7 (TP)Two Army pilots were killed here today when their planes locked wings in mid-air and crashed, the Army announced tonight. The victims were First Lt. Henry P. Mora van, 30, of Binghampton, N. Y., and First Lt Richard L. Burcham, 25, Portland, Ore.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Richard was the telegraph editor for The Daily Texan, at UT Austin.
He flew 66 missions in the Pacific during the war as a bombardier-navigator of a P-51 fighter. He had recently graduated from Luke Field and was receiving fighter transition training at Williams Field when he crashed.
In 1930, his father was a mining engineer in Brewster County, Texas.
He is buried in Oregon.
Photographs
photo from UT Austin yearbook 1943. Labeled Lt. Richard L. Burcham, AAF, The Daily Texan 1939-1942.
Memorial Hall Error
Richard is listed as a member of the US Air Force in Memorial Hall; however, this organization did not exist until after his death. Should be US Army. Only report found has his rank as 1LT, and this is on his headstone. Register of Alumni and Memorial Hall have him as a Captain.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
