P-38L Lightning aircraft flying in formation during Lockheed test pilot Milo Burcham's funeral, southern California, United States, late 1944

Caption     P-38L Lightning aircraft flying in formation during Lockheed test pilot Milo Burcham's funeral, southern California, United States, late 1944 ww2dbase
Photographer    Unknown
Source    ww2dbaseUnited States Air Force
Link to Source    Link
Identification Code   061019-F-1234P-015
More on...   
P-38 Lightning   Main article  Photos  
Photo Size 437 x 394 pixels
Photos at Same Place California, United States
Added By C. Peter Chen
Licensing  Public Domain. According to the United States copyright law (United States Code, Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105), in part, "[c]opyright protection under this title is not available for any work of the United States Government".

Please contact us regarding any inaccuracies with the above information. Thank you.
Colorized By WW2DB     Colorized with Adobe Photoshop



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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
18 Feb 2025 02:04:16 PM

Upon reviewing available sources, it appears that the initial information regarding the date of the P-38L Lightning flyover at Milo Burcham’s funeral may have been inaccurate. Milo Burcham, a renowned Lockheed test pilot, tragically died on October 20, 1944, during a test flight of the YP-80A jet aircraft. Contemporary reports indicate that he was laid to rest shortly thereafter at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. A Lockheed Star newsletter from October 27, 1944, details his funeral service, suggesting that the burial occurred within a week of his passing. This timeline makes a funeral date of February 25, 1945, highly improbable.

The confusion may stem from misdated photographs or records. Without access to primary sources confirming a memorial flyover on February 25, 1945, it’s challenging to ascertain the exact date of the tribute. However, based on the available evidence, it’s reasonable to conclude that the P-38L Lightning flyover occurred in October 1944, in close proximity to Burcham’s funeral.
2. Commenter identity confirmed C. Peter Chen says:
19 Feb 2025 08:35:24 AM

Thank you to anonymous of 18 Feb 2025, we have updated the caption.

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