The Miami Herald

Monday, March 10, 2003



Remains of Vietnam MIA buried



(AP) -- Marion County's only soldier classified by the Army as missing in action during the Vietnam War has finally been laid to rest in his hometown.



Staff Sgt. Berman Ganoe Jr. was buried Friday, 33 years after the

helicopter he was on was shot down over Cambodia.



Brig. Gen. David C. Godwin, commander of the 53rd Infantry Brigade of the Florida National Guard, delivered the eulogy.



"It's a privilege to be here as we honor an American hero," Godwin said.



'Some say that 'hero' is a word that is used too often today. But

in this case, it is true."



Godwin, a platoon leader in Vietnam, recalled Ganoe's war record and the emotional ties that develop between soldiers who serve together.



"There is a strong bond between Vietnam veterans, and I feel a strong bond with Staff Sgt. Ganoe," he said. "Two months after his

death, I was fighting there. I knew many men like him.



"When his nation called, he went. He served his nation, and like more than 55,000 other men, he died [in Vietnam]. Berman Ganoe gave his life trying to save others."



Ganoe was serving as a helicopter gunner with the 170th Aviation Company, 52nd Aviation Battalion, First Aviation Brigade when his UH-1H "Huey" was assigned to rescue a reconnaissance team being pursued by enemy troops in Cambodia on March 24, 1970.



The crew made a daring landing to retrieve the patrol team, but it was hit by enemy fire and crashed.



Ganoe was then listed as missing in action, presumed dead. His remains were returned to the United States in 1998, but it wasn't until June 2001 that they were positively identified.



Ganoe was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, 16 Air Medals, the Purple Heart and numerous other medals of valor.

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Replying to:

Associated Press Newswires

Wednesday, March 5, 2003



Remains of Vietnam MIA returning to Ocala for Friday burial



OCALA, Fla. (AP) - The remains of a decorated Army soldier who was listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War are scheduled to return to his hometown for a burial ceremony on Friday.



Nearly 33 years after Staff Sergeant Berman Ganoe Jr.'s helicopter was shot down in Cambodia, family members and friends will give the man who once stood at about 6-foot-3, 245 pounds a hero's salute and a burial.



"He was voted the friendliest person in his high school class," his brother Dwight told the Ocala Star-Banner earlier this week.

"He was a gentle giant, an extremely nice guy."



Ganoe was serving as a helicopter gunner with the 170th Aviation Company, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade when his UH-1H "Huey" was assigned to rescue a reconnaissance team being pursued by enemy troops in Cambodia on March 24, 1970. The crew made a daring landing to retrieve the patrol team, but it was hit by enemy fire and crashed.



Ganoe was then listed as missing in action, presumed dead. His remains were returned to the United States in 1998, but it wasn't until June 2001 that they were positively identified.



Ganoe was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, 16 Air Medals, the Purple Heart and numerous other medals of valor.



Ganoe's parents are both dead. His brother, Dwight, said Berman was their favorite and for 30 years has lived with his memory.



"Something always reminds you, a picture, something you see reminds you of him," he said. "It goes through your mind, it hits you. You think about it frequently, but you don't dwell on it."



The ceremony is set for noon at Highland Memorial Park in Ocala and is open to the public.