THE WALL OF FACES

Brigadier General Edward Burke Burdett, Served with the Headquarters Squadron, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force.

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. Your many citations attest to your valor. May you rest in eternal peace.

The “Friends of Rocky Versace” remember one of Rocky’s fellow alumni from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point - a brother POW - Brigadier General Edward Burke Burdett, USMA Class of June 1943, USAF, on what would’ve been his 100th birthday - 10 March 2021.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) website at the below link, the remains of former POW/MIA Brigadier General Edward Burke Burdett, USMA class of June 1943, USAF, were accounted for on 3 April 1974:

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000vjG0lEAE

As of the latest DPAA updates (14 & 16 October 2020), BGen Burdett is one of 1,053 Americans accounted for/identified from Southeast Asia Vietnam War MIAs. Of 337 USMA graduates who made the ultimate sacrifice in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, he is one of 12 former MIAs whose remains were recovered. Ten graduates remain MIA.

https://www.dpaa.mil/Portals/85/VietnamAccounting/pmsea_acc_ALL_20201016.pdf

https://www.dpaa.mil/portals/85/Documents/VietnamAccounting/2020_stats/Statistics%20as%20of%20October%2014,%202020.pdf

There are still 1,585 Americans unaccounted for in Southeast Asia from the Vietnam War:
https://www.dpaa.mil/Portals/85/VietnamAccounting/pmsea_una_ALL_20201009.pdf

On the date of his loss, 18 November 1967, Colonel Burdett was the Commander of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing and pilot of a single-seat F-105D jet aircraft operating out of Korat Royal Thai Air Base (RTAB). Four F-105s launched on an attack of the North Vietnamese MiG Base at Phuc Yen. During the attack, his F-105 received damage from a SAM. Soon after, Col. Burdett ejected. North Vietnamese military forces captured him. Some time later, Col. Burdett died in captivity at the hands of his communist North Vietnamese captors. The communists returned his remains to U.S. control on 6 March 1974. The U.S. Senate approved his promotion from Colonel to Brigadier General.

Information about the loss of BGen Burdett's F-105 Thunderchief, and 3 other F-105s from the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, on 18 Nov 1967 during an attack on the MiG Base at Phuc Yen is available at the Vietnam Air Losses website at this link/URL:

https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=1462