Near Rustburg in Campbell County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Col. Vincent W. “Squeek” Burnett

Photographed by J. J. Prats, March 30, 2013

1. Col. Vincent W. “Squeek” Burnett Marker

Inscription. Born in Lynchburg in 1913, Col. Vincent W. “Squeek” Burnett learned to fly at age 16. By the mid-1930s, he was one of America’s renowned aerobatic pilots and a member of the Flying Aces Air Circus. He performed such signature maneuvers as the Square Loop, Beer Bottle Loop, and Inverted Ribbon Cut. During World War II, Burnett served as technical advisor to Brig. Gen. James H. Doolittle and a demonstration pilot of the difficult to fly Martin B-26 Marauder bomber, nicknamed the “Widow-Maker.” He successfully taught pilots to fly the B-26, which played an important role in America’s World War II air effort. Burnett later retired to his nearby Lakemont farm and died in 1989.

Erected 2003 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number K-318.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913.

Location. 37° 18.372′ N, 79° 3.105′ W.

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Marker is near Rustburg, Virginia, in Campbell County. It is on Village Highway (Virginia Route 24), on the right when traveling west. It is about half-way between Concord and Rustburg. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rustburg VA 24588, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont

and in Central Virginia.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Original Site of Campbell County Training-High School (approx. 2.7 miles away); Campbell County Training School (approx. 2.9 miles away); Old Rustburg (approx. 3.4 miles away); Campbell County War Memorial (approx.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, March 30, 2013

2. Col. Vincent W. “Squeek” Burnett Marker

3.4 miles away); Oxford Furnace (approx. 4.9 miles away); Concord Depot (approx. 5.3 miles away); Appomattox County / Campbell County (approx. 5.3 miles away); Mount Athos (approx. 5½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rustburg.

Also see . . . Vincent 'Squeak' Burnett: Daredevil Acrobat Goes to War. 2006 article by David Fortuna originally published in Aviation History magazine. “Suddenly, Burnett’s engine quit. He coolly began a slow climb. At 75 feet, he rolled the plane upright and began gliding toward the field, preparing for an emergency landing. But at that point the engine caught, then started running smoothly once more. Burnett quickly rounded the field and landed at the Chattanooga airport — to a roar of approval from the crowd, which assumed that it was all part of his trademark ‘inverted ribbon’ act.” (Submitted on April 6, 2013.)

Additional keywords. Col. Vincent W. “Squeak” Burnett

Lakemont Farm image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, March 30, 2013

3. Lakemont Farm

View from the marker.

U.S. Army Air Force Martin B-26 Marauder image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Charles E. Brown, 1944

4. U.S. Army Air Force Martin B-26 Marauder

Source: USAAF via Wikipedia Commons.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on April 6, 2013, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,876 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 6, 2013, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.