Frank L. Burns
Frank Lee Burns was a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who served in Vietnam and, in retirement, became an information specialist.Biography
Burns earned a B.A. degree from Central Michigan University and later earned a Masters degree in Criminology from Sam Houston State University.
As an Army officer, Burns served two tours in Vietnam. He created the military recruitment slogan "Be All That You Can Be" in 1980 and was director of "Task Force Delta" beginning in 1983. In the same year, Burns created the Meta Network, one of the first public online communities. TMN was one of the consortium of online communities and networks that banded together to form the Electronic Networking Association in 1985. It describes itself as being "dedicated to learning and creative freedom". Burns ultimately became president of Metasystems Design Group.
Burns was one of the first 100 hang glider pilots in the United States. He flew stunt kites with his wife Billye to the delight of crowds of children at the Washington Monument and elsewhere. They moved to Georgetown, Texas in 2002.
Burns died at age 63 in Georgetown. His official military grave marker bears, as an "Emblem of Belief", the Buddhist "Wheel of Righteousness"; a civilian tombstone bears images of hang gliders.
