MILFORD, Del. - Milford native Al Burk was inducted into the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame, among five others in the state, for his impressive resume as an Army helicopter pilot.
He served for 35 years doing everything from rescuing families in the Italian Alps to hovering over Germany, but to Burk, he was just doing his duty,
"What I'd done over the years, I never looked at it as. I never did it because I thought somewhere down the road I'd be recognized. I did it because it was my job."
Burk has earned several awards like a Silver Star, a Purple Heart and even a Legion of Merit medal. Among his many accomplishments, one that stands out is just how long he spent in the sky.
"My one tour of Vietnam I flew 1,349 hours and that was in a year and if you do the math, that's a lot of flying and I don't know anybody else that got that many hours in one year." said Burk.
Even before joining the fight, Burk won several trophies and medals for running cross country and wrestling at Milford High School. He continues to run marathons like the Skyway 10k and the Out Run Hunger 5k at the young age of 77.
Burk said, "I tell people it's great being in my age group because there's nobody else there!"
Burk hopes people will see his contributions as a pilot and give remembrance to those who didn't make it home,
"When I was in Vietnam, I saw... I had friends die," said Burk. "I don't want people to ever forget all those who the ultimate sacrifice so that we all can be free."
To learn more about Burk's story and other inductees, you can visit their plaques at the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame in Greenville.