[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 36 (Thursday, March 6, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H1661]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING STAFF SERGEANT BERMAN GANOE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
a constituent of mine who fought and died in the Vietnam War and is 
being honored tomorrow in my district, the fifth congressional district 
of Florida. In 1968, 19-year-old Berman Ganoe enlisted in the U.S. Army 
and was sent shortly thereafter to Vietnam. On March 24, 1970, Staff 
Sergeant Ganoe's helicopter was shot down while on a rescue mission in 
Cambodia. The helicopter that Sergeant Ganoe was aboard was acting as a 
rescue aircraft for a gunship team engaged in combat on the ground. A 
fellow army pilot who witnessed the crash of Sergeant Ganoe's aircraft 
called the rescue mission and the actions of the entire crew ``the most 
heroic act he had ever seen.''
  Shortly after the crash, Sergeant Ganoe was classified as ``missing 
in action'' and became Marion County, Florida's only Vietnam War 
``missing in action'' person. In 1974, the Army changed his status to 
``assumed dead.'' In 1998, after an excavation of the crash site, 
Sergeant Ganoe's remains were returned to the United States but were 
never positively identified until mid-2001.
  He is one of 22 Florida soldiers whose remains were recovered and 
returned to the United States following the end of the war. When the 
technology to positively identify years-old remains was developed and 
perfected, the remains were identified and the families of the fallen 
soldiers were contacted.
  Tomorrow in my district, friends and family of Sergeant Ganoe are 
memorializing him and honoring his contribution to our country. A 
bronze memorial of Sergeant Ganoe will be unveiled at a ceremony in 
Ocala which will follow a private memorial service for his surviving 
three brothers, four sisters, and numerous friends and extended family 
members.
  Sergeant Ganoe served his country and made the ultimate sacrifice to 
protect our freedom. Further, he died in a rescue mission to save the 
lives of fellow soldiers. Posthumously, Sergeant Ganoe was awarded the 
Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, 16 Air Medals, the Purple 
Heart, and numerous other medals of valor.
  I commend Sergeant Ganoe for his actions and stand here today to 
honor his life and his sacrifice. I think it is particularly important 
that we consider the sacrifices of Sergeant Ganoe and of the people who 
currently are serving in our military today.




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