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
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Date posted on this site: 04/13/2025
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