Oral History with Debra Burlingame

Oral history interview with Debra Burlingame and Amy Weinstein on October 9, 2025.

Debra Burlingame is a 9/11 family member and a Founding Trustee of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. In this interview, Burlingame reflects on her upbringing in a close-knit Air Force family, her early career as a flight attendant and television producer, and her legal career before the September 11 attacks. She remembers her brother Charles F. Burlingame III ("Chic") and his lifelong passion for aviation, his career as a Naval Aviator and Captain of American Airlines Flight 77, and the devastating circumstances of his death when the aircraft was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon. Burlingame describes her experience at the Pentagon Family Assistance Center, emphasizing the military's compassionate response to victims' families, the support she received from American Airlines employees, and the extraordinary kindness shown by people across the United States in the weeks following the attacks. She reflects on how these experiences inspired her to become a public advocate, recounting her efforts to influence public discourse surrounding the rebuilding of Ground Zero, the creation of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and campaigns including Take Back the Memorial to preserve what she believed should be the site's commemorative purpose. Burlingame also discusses her decades of advocacy on issues related to terrorism, national security, military commissions, and the prosecution of the alleged 9/11 conspirators, describing her extensive research into Islamist extremism and her belief in distinguishing between extremist ideology and the broader Muslim community. Throughout the interview, she emphasizes the importance of civic engagement, historical memory, and preserving the stories of both the victims and the extraordinary acts of courage, compassion, and sacrifice that followed September 11. She concludes by expressing her hope that future generations will continue to defend the historical significance of the attacks while recognizing the enduring power of national unity and collective service in the face of tragedy.