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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Major Samuel Philip Burton
Born: February 28, 1919, Mount Juliet, TN
US Amy Air Corps
Commissioned: October 9, 1942
Discharged: December, 1946

Sam P. Burton took his first solo flight on April 1, 1941. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in January, 1942 at Maxwell Field. He was commissioned on October 9, 1942 at Moody Field, Class 42-1 and stationed for ferry group, Nashville, TN, October 1942-January 1943. He checked out as Captain for B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26, and C-46 in Memphis, TN. He ferried in the States and then transferred to China-Burma-India in August, 1943. He was first stationed in Agra, August, 1943, with first trip across the Hump from Agra to Kunming in B-25G. He flew on two special missions from Abadan, Iran to Chabua. His second station was Bangalor, India starting in July, 1944 and received orders in August, 1944, to go to Columbo, Ceylon to pick up General Stilwell and his staff after a conference with Lord Mountbatten. He flew to New Delhi and on to Chunking and remained on General Stilwell's staff until his recall October, 1944. Highlights included attending China's National Independence Day celebration banquet on October 10, 1944, and General Stilwell's last supper and USO show before his departure from Kunming on October 22,1944. He returned to the States in December, 1944, ATC Miami. Thereafter, he flew C-54 on Fireball to South America, Africa, and Europe. He owned and operated a Fixed Base Operation in both Lewisburg and Lebanon, TN and was a flight instructor. He flew for the US Atomic Energy Commission, Oak Ridge, TN. He then flew as Captain for Mackey and later for Eastern Airlines until his retirement on February 27, 1979. He continued to celebrate the anniversary of his first solo flight on an annual basis. Approaching his 85th birthday, he commemorated the centennial of the Wright Brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk, NC, by practicing "touch and goes" at an airport near his home in Lake Worth, FL. He served as Treasurer of the Hump Pilots Association since 1988.

"If it could get off the ground, Sam Burton could fly it and fly it well."

He is married to Leona (Toni) Haynes Burton and the father of four children, all of whom have devoted part of their lives to commercial aviation as pilot or flight attendants. He has three granddaughters.