Lee Aubrey Burcham

Lee Aubrey Burcham, 100, of Carlisle, PA, passed away on Saturday, 27 December 2025 in the Households at Chapel Pointe, Carlisle. He was born on 13 May 1925 in Decatur, IL to the late Riley C. Burcham and Myrtle Irene (Sutton) Burcham and was the widower of Maria del "Carmen" whom he spent nearly 74 years with.

Lee graduated from Stephen Decatur Public High School on 1 June 1942 and attended three quick semesters at the University of Illinois and was then inducted into the armed forces 19 July 1943.

Lee emerged from the lengthy training regimen as a 2nd Lt. Aerial Navigator and proceeded to the air war in Europe in B-24 Liberator bombers. Completed 26 combat missions with the 389th Bomb Group based at Hethel in East Anglia of the UK. Returned to the US in May of 1945 and married Maria del Carmen Salazar of San Antonio, TX. In December 1945 he was discharged from active duty and returned to the University of Illinois to earn B.S and M.S. degrees.

In September 1948 he was recalled to active duty, awarded a Regular commission and became deeply involved with the Berlin Airlift wherein he executed 60 relief missions into the beleaguered city while assigned to the 7370th AF Flt Svc Sqdn. With that organization he was involved in Air Sea Rescue operations and in-flight event following. Subsequently, for 30 months he flew many peripheral electronic reconnaissance missions about the Soviet Union with the 7499th Squadron and was promoted to Captain. Upon leaving the European theater of operations he was assigned to Hqs. Strategic Air Command (SAC) in Target Intelligence at Omaha, NE for five years and was promoted to Major. He then attended Air Force Staff and Command school at Maxwell AFB, AL and was subsequently assigned to the USAF Academy near Colorado Springs, CO where he developed curricular materials and taught the rudiments of Geography, Cartography, Surveying, Earth Sciences to new cadets, ultimately as head of the curriculum. After four years, electing not to stay at the Academy, he was assigned to Hqs. 5th AF in Japan as Chief of Target Intelligence as a Lt.Col. In this capacity he made many official visits to parallel offices in Korea, Viet Nam, Thailand, and the Philippines to coordinate Target Intelligence activities. In 1965 he was assigned to the Pentagon in Target Intelligence and after a year was awarded an assignment as Senior Research Associate at Denver University's Graduate School of International Studies as an active-duty USAF officer. He was next assigned to the Viet Nam Theatre of operations at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand with TASK FORCE ALPHA and upon promotion to Colonel was reassigned as Chief of B-52 target selection for MACV at Saigon. He then returned to the Pentagon as Chief of Target Intelligence in September 1969. Concommitant with his duties in Intelligence he assumed responsibility for welcoming and interviewing about 85 of the returning POWs from Viet Nam at Maxwell AFB in the spring of 1973. At about the same time, he provided the final briefing on the completion of Project CORONA HARVEST for which he had become Executive Secretary after three years of research, writing and briefings. He retired from USAF active duty in June 1973.

After leaving military service, he completed his PhD dissertation in Geographic studies at the University of Maryland and then taught there in adjunct status. Simultaneously, he worked with several firms involved with support activities to the Federal Intelligence activities. In 1989 he assumed full-time adjunct status with Shippensburg University where he taught courses in both geography and geology for a decade. Volunteer services with Perry County's Literacy Council were performed for a similar period.

Lee was an active member of KIWANIS and was the originator of the annual blueberry sale which began in 2003 and became the club's nearly exclusive source of income generation in support of children's needs in the community.

Surviving Lee is his daughter, Anita Dianne Reid of Frederick, MD. In addition to his parents and wife, Lee was preceded in death by his sister, Lenola “Joy” B. Phillips.

A military service will be held for friends and family in the Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery on a warmer day. Arrangements are being handled by Hollinger Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., Mt. Holly Springs.