Contractors begin work on JFK Eternal Flame burner

Norfolk District Public Affairs
Published April 30, 2013
ARLINGTON, Va. – Randy Barton, an Arlington National Cemetery engineering technician, lights a torch from the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame April 29, 2013. The torch was used to transfer the flame to a temporary burner while the permanent flame undergoes repair and upgrade work to install new burners, a new igniter as well as new gas and air lines. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

ARLINGTON, Va. – Randy Barton, an Arlington National Cemetery engineering technician, lights a torch from the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame April 29, 2013. The torch was used to transfer the flame to a temporary burner while the permanent flame undergoes repair and upgrade work to install new burners, a new igniter as well as new gas and air lines. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

ARLINGTON, Va. – Randy Barton, an Arlington National Cemetery engineering technician, lights a temporary flame using a torch that was lit from the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at the cemetery April 29, 2013. The temporary flame will burn while the permanent flame undergoes repair and upgrade work to install new burners, a new igniter and new gas and air lines. Work on the burner itself will take about three weeks to complete. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

ARLINGTON, Va. – Randy Barton, an Arlington National Cemetery engineering technician, lights a temporary flame using a torch that was lit from the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at the cemetery April 29, 2013. The temporary flame will burn while the permanent flame undergoes repair and upgrade work to install new burners, a new igniter and new gas and air lines. Work on the burner itself will take about three weeks to complete. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

ARLINGTON, Va. – Contractors install white fencing  at the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery April 29, 2013. The fencing will block the public’s view of the flame while contractors install burners, an igniter and new gas and air lines. Work on the burner itself will take about three weeks to complete. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

ARLINGTON, Va. – Contractors install white fencing at the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery April 29, 2013. The fencing will block the public’s view of the flame while contractors install burners, an igniter and new gas and air lines. Work on the burner itself will take about three weeks to complete. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

Contractors install white fencing  at the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery April 29, 2013. The fencing will block the public’s view of the flame while contractors install burners, an igniter and new gas and air lines. Work on the burner itself will take about three weeks to complete. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

Contractors install white fencing at the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery April 29, 2013. The fencing will block the public’s view of the flame while contractors install burners, an igniter and new gas and air lines. Work on the burner itself will take about three weeks to complete. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

ARLINGTON, Va. –A white fence temporarily shields the public’s view of the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery April 29, 2013. The flame, which is undergoing repair and upgrade work, will receive new burners, a new igniter as well as new gas and air lines. Work on the burner itself will take about three weeks to complete. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

ARLINGTON, Va. –A white fence temporarily shields the public’s view of the John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame at Arlington National Cemetery April 29, 2013. The flame, which is undergoing repair and upgrade work, will receive new burners, a new igniter as well as new gas and air lines. Work on the burner itself will take about three weeks to complete. (U.S. Army photo/Patrick Bloodgood)

ARLINGTON, Va. – Contractors began work here yesterday on the burner of the President John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame, which has been burning since 1967.

Technicians from Meltech Corp., Inc.; based in Landover, Md.; built an 8-foot temporary fence and installed a temporary flame at one of the most visited sites in Arlington National Cemetery.

The replacement of parts and systems associated with the burner is expected to last three weeks, while other portions of the upgrade work away from the immediate gravesite will continue through the summer.

“There is a lot of corrosion, so we are replacing those items as well as the burner itself,” said Lt. Col. David Fedroff, Arlington National Cemetery chief of engineering.

Despite the work, contractors and cemetery officials didn’t allow the symbolic flame to go out. Instead, Randy Barton, a member of the cemetery’ s engineering staff, used a torch to transfer the permanent flame to a temporary location.

“We felt it was important to maintain the flame,” Fedroff said. “We feel we are continuing an important tradition in our nation’s history and honoring President Kennedy.”

The temporary flame will remain lit during the burner repair work and, once complete, the fence will come down and the flame will be transferred back to its permanent location at the Kennedy gravesite.

"The project is progressing well and on track for completion by November,” said Suzanne Spence, Norfolk District project manager.

Contractors will also repair and replace the eternal flame’s control systems, but that work isn’t expected to affect the public’s view of President Kennedy’s gravesite.