More detail on this person: Arne H. Eliasson, Army colonel Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the city where Col. Eliasson grew up. He grew up in Bedford Hills, N.Y., not Mount Kisco, N.Y. Arne H. Eliasson, 89, a retired Army colonel and helicopter pilot who was among the military pioneers in the use of helicopters for medical evacuations, died Jan. 25 at his home in Silver Spring. He died of complications from Parkinson's disease, said his daughter, Edda Eliasson. Col. Eliasson served 32 years in the Army before retiring in 1975. He was a veteran of World War II, commanded a medical helicopter detachment in the Korean War and commanded an aviation brigade in the Vietnam War. He served as a defense attache in Afghanistan from 1973 to 1975. After retiring from the Army, he was an adviser to Bell Helicopter International in Tehran for four years. He then settled in the Washington area and worked as a senior industrial engineer for National Systems Management in Crystal City until 1993. Arne Holger Eliasson was born in Oxnevalla, Sweden. He came to the United States at 7 and grew up in Bedford Hills, N.Y. While serving in the Army, he graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1963. According to his family, Col. Eliasson's military decorations included the Legion of Merit, two awards of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Erika Buerstlein Eliasson of Silver Spring; two children, Arn H. Eliasson of Silver Spring and Edda Eliasson of Amelia, Va.; and six grandchildren. A son, John Eliasson, died in 1999.
Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington VA
This information was last updated 10/25/2017
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association