On December 1st, the park will be dedicating a plaque to the memory of ranger Gregory Burdine, who was killed in the line of duty on November 26, 1977. Burdine, who was 25 at the time, died in an accident while pursuing a vehicle for speeding on the Colonial Parkway.
Burdine was running radar when a vehicle approached that was doing 72 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone. He pursued the vehicle for about seven miles before losing control of his cruiser while attempting to negotiate a curve, hitting two trees. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The violator was later identified and convicted of several offenses. Burdine was survived by his wife and parents.
The ceremony will be held at the Yorktown Visitor Center, starting at 3 p.m. The NPS Color Guard will participate in the ceremony. If you’d like to attend, please contact assistant chief ranger Steve Williams at 757-898-1478.
