JFK Flame transferred home

(sound pop) - "The Eternal Flame has now been transferred"

During a ceremony Oct. 29, John McHugh, the secretary of the Army, transferred the iconic JFK Eternal Flame from its temporary burner back to its permanent home in the circular stone at the 35th president's gravesite.

The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with its contractor partner, Meltech Inc., spent the past several months upgrading the old eternal flame, which had reached the end of its anticipated lifespan (nat pop clicking) and needed to be replaced.

"This process goes back to realizing and recognizing that this flame, which has been burning since 1967 on this site, needed replacement and getting this new flame up-to-date with various codes and engineering procedures to get it more reliable and dependable," said Col. Paul Olsen.

Crowds visiting the gravesite won't be able to see the majority of the upgrade work on new air and gas lines, as well as new safety controls out-of-view, but what they do see is a new burner assembly that was designed to keep the flame lit in all kinds of weather conditions.

Brian Swersky, owner of Gasman Services and Consulting, fabricated the burner.
"It's important to a lot of people that it be done correctly, and I knew I had the experience and the know-how to build a torch that would withstand the elements, there is a lot more to an eternal flame than most people realize," said Swersky.

Swersky says the flame is really two burners in one. The main burner burns pure gas, while the pilot burner relies on a precise mixture of air and gas vented through six ports on a pilot ring.

Each of these ports has an ignitor which sparks igniting the gas if the system detects a flame is absent. It's what ultimately keeps the flame from being extinguished by wind or rain.

"With us pre-mixing the air with the gas at the pilot ring we have a very consistent and stable eternal flame," Swersky said.

For the district, the upgrade marks another chapter in its novel-length history with the flame.

"We started in concept working with this flame in 1963 when requirement came to the corps." Olsen said.

With the flame back in its rightful spot, the cemetery's staff says the legacy of JFK will continue to inspire generations to come with a flame that burns bright.

"President Kennedy continues to inspire generations, and restoring this flame to its original condition guarantees that generations to come will continue to be inspired by the president's service to the country," said Col. Michelle Steward, Arlington National Cemetery's chief of staff.