More detail on this person: Daniel S. Gressang, III, 71, of Ormond Beach, Florida, passed away
quietly at home on October 21, 2006. Daniel was born March 21, 1935, in Pottsville, PA, the son of
Daniel S. Jr. and Monica Burns Gressang.
He spent most of his early years living in Florida with his grandparents, and his high school years
were spent with his father and stepmother in the Panama Canal Zone. He graduated from Balboa High
School in 1954 and spent the next 20 years serving his country in the U.S. Army, retiring as a
Major. Daniel served two tours of duty in Vietnam flying various types of helicopters and received
many medals, one being the Distinguished Flying Cross. His name is on the Wall of Honor at the Air
and Space Museum in Washington, DC. He was very proud of his military service in which he flew
straight wing air craft, but mainly all types of helicopters. After his retirement, he was employed
by Petroleum Helicopters Inc., and Doss Aviation, where he served as an instructor pilot at Fort
Rucker and in Mexico for the Mexican government.
Daniel was a gun enthusiast, belonged to the NRA, and enjoyed hunting. He was an avid reader and a
history buff, and loved to travel. Daniel belonged to the Panama Canal Society and was a graduate
of the University of Tampa.
Dan was predeceased by his first wife, Margaret, who died in 1992. Surviving are his wife, Dawn, of
Ormond Beach, a son, Daniel, IV, and daughter in law, Lutitia Gressang, two grandchildren, Daniel V
and Alyssa Gressang, in Maryland; two step-children, Scott and his wife, Catriona Parker, in Florida
and Kevin Parker in New Jersey. He has four step-grandchildren, Felicia, Alyssa, Kyle, and Andrea
Parker.
Grave site services with military honors will be held in Ozark, Alabama. A celebration of his life
will be held at his home in the near future.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the American Heart Association, or
to the Panama Canal Society Museum at 7985 113th St., Suite 100, Seminole, FL 33772-4785
Obituary from Ozark, AL paper.
Last name spelled GESSANG in Ralph Young's book Army Aviation in Vietnam 1962/1963
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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: 06/15/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association