Robert Francis Burnham (March 7, 1913 – January 16, 1969) was a brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force who served as a group commander of the

307th Bombardment Group 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious or cultural significance in many societie ...

; base commander of Lockbourne AFB, OH;

provost marshal Provost marshal is a title given to a person in charge of a group of Military Police (MP). The title originated with an older term for MPs, '' provosts'', from the Old French ''prévost'' (Modern French ''prévôt''). While a provost marshal i ...

of the Air Police; and the 4th

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI or OSI).

Military career

Burnham was appointed a cadet to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, which he entered in June 1930. In 1933, he resigned to apply for appointment as a flying cadet, U.S. Army Air Corps. He was appointed a flying cadet in February 1935, at which time he entered training at Randolph Field, Texas. He graduated as a rated pilot from

Kelly Field Kelly Field (formerly Kelly Air Force Base) is a Joint-Use facility located in San Antonio, Texas. It was originally named after George E. M. Kelly, the first member of the U.S. military killed in the crash of an airplane he was piloting. In ...

, Texas, in February 1936. Afterwards, he was assigned to the 97th Operations Squadron, Mitchel Field, New York, as a flying cadet, in conformance with the personnel policy of those years which required an additional year of duty as a flying cadet subsequent to graduation and prior to commissioning. On March 1, 1937, he was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

, U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve. Aside from his flying career, Burnham assisted in the establishment of the Air University as deputy chief of staff, Air University secretary, and chief of the academic staff. In 1948, he entered the Air War College as a student. In 1952, Burnham entered the

National War College The National War College (NWC) of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. History The National War Colle ...

and graduated in July 1953. From 1953 to 1957, he was assigned to various staff positions, including duty as an executive to the

Under Secretary of the Air Force The Under Secretary of the Air Force (USECAF, or SAF/US), sometimes referred to as the Under Secretary of the Department of the Air Force, is the second-highest ranking civilian official in the Department of the Air Force of the United States of ...

. By 1959, he was promoted to brigadier general for duty as the Air Provost Marshal. Then in June 1962, Burham was appointed director of special investigations, ( The Inspector General.)

Personal life

Burnham was the son of Grover and Elizabeth (Stampfler) Burnham, and he had a brother, Burl C. Burnham. He married Doris Johnston Quig in 1967. Burnham died on January 16, 1969, at the age of 55.

References

Notes

1969 deaths 1913 births United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations United States Air Force generals {{DEFAULTSORT:Burnham, Robert F.

Military career

Personal life

See also

References

Notes