Staff Sergeant Burt was a member of the 16th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter- Interceptor Group. On 18 June 1953, he was a passenger on a C-124A Globemaster transport traveling from Tachikawa Air Base, Japan, to Korea. He was killed when the aircraft crashed about three miles from Tachikawa.

Burt was awarded the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.