"He was living his dream."Pilot Charles Burlingame was more than a war hero to his family, who affectionately called him Chic."He was really our touchstone and he still is."Days before the anniversary, his sister Debra Burlingame, an advocate for the 9/11 families,showed us his name among those etched in bronze surrounding the two memorial pools in New York City.On 9/11, Al-Qaeda terrorists took over Burlingame's American Airlines Flight 77, slamming it into the Pentagon.Debra's grief has turned to anger with confirmation a potential plea deal is under discussion for the five 9/11 defendants, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described architect of the attacks."I was outraged."Defense attorneys told CBS News military prosecutors may be willing to take the death penalty off the table.And in return, the 9/11 defendants would plead guilty to the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil."You're in touch with other 9/11 families. Do they feel the same way?""The families are outraged, and they don't want closure; they want justice."But another group, 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, believes a plea deal could deliver "some measure of judicial finality.""All five defendants and the government are all engaged in good faith negotiations with the idea of bringing this trial, which has become a forever trial, to an end."A spokesman for the military trials did not address our questions about the 9/11 case,but confirmed "the parties are currently engaged in preliminary plea negotiations," citing recent court records.
