Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 26, 1990 TAG: 9004260462
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KEVIN KITTREDGE SHENANDOAH BUREAU
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The former public relations official and one-time history instructor at Virginia Military Institute told a Lexington newspaper this month he had been knighted by Queen Elizabeth.
Burnette, who lives in Rockbridge County and teaches at Radford University, told the Lexington News-Gazette that on March 3, he was dubbed Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath for his service in the cause of peace. The queen also gave him a specially chosen sword, Burnette said, and told him, "May you carry it in honor and peace through a long life, Sir Lawrence."
"I feel like I've fallen down a rabbit hole into another world," the newspaper quoted Burnette as saying. "In moments of deeper reflection, I say, `Why me, oh Lord? What have I done?' "
This week, others have been asking Burnette the same question.
A competing newspaper, The Rockbridge Weekly, is running a front-page story questioning Burnette's alleged knighthood.
The British Embassy is saying - politely - that Burnette must be mistaken.
"We have no record of any such award," said Andrew Henderson, first secretary at the British Embassy in Washington. "I had not heard of Mr. Burnette. Had an award been in the cards, it would have come through this embassy to contact him."
And what of Queen Elizabeth, who allegedly bestowed knighthood on Burnette personally and gave him an antique sword "as a token of our high esteem and affection"?
"I have no reason to believe that that conversation took place," Henderson said.
Burnette, contacted Tuesday, said, "I'm aware that some controversy has arisen. My best interests lie in making no statement whatsoever."
He did, however, insist he was knighted.
When asked about the Burnette story, M.W. Paxton Jr., editor of the News-Gazette, said, "I'd rather not comment on that." But the News-Gazette's own Wednesday edition has a front page story that questions Burnette's claim to knighthood.
Burnette, the story said, approached a News-Gazette writer earlier this month and said he'd been knighted, showing her the medal of the Order of the Bath to back up his claim.
"The story not only sounded too good, but apparently was too good to be true," Wednesday's News-Gazette story began.
The News-Gazette's original story April 4 included two pictures, one of Burnette holding his sword and the other of the medal of the Order of the Bath.
The medal in the photograph looked identical to the medal given George C. Marshall in 1945 for his work as U.S. Army chief of staff in World War II. That medal is on display at the Marshall Museum on the VMI campus.
In the April 4 News-Gazette story, Burnette said he has been involved in this country's arms-control negotiations with the Soviets for the past three years, which led to his being knighted for promoting peace.
He said he was knighted when he stopped off in London to give an update on the arms negotiations to the British.
by CNB