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Honor Guard lays Vietnam pilot to rest after 38 years

  • Published
  • By Capt. Mike Chillstrom
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The base honor guard presented a fitting military salute to Maj. Benjamin Danielson, an Air Force F-4 Phantom pilot shot down in 1969 during the Vietnam War.

During a ceremonial tribute June 15 in Kenyon, Minn., the honor guard performed a flag-folding with full military honors. It was nearly 38 years since Major Danielson went down over Laos, but his family never gave up hope that he'd have a military send off someday.

"It's been great to have a proper welcome home for my dad," Major Danielson's son, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brian Danielson, told the audience during the ceremony. "My life will never be the same after this."

The ceremony, which brought closure to the saga of a missing veteran and his family, was the culmination of many fateful events.

After being shot down over Laos in early December 1969, Major Danielson was originally considered 'missing in action' for seven years. His status finally changed to 'killed in action' in 1976 because his body hadn't been recovered. For the next 15 years, the major's family had to live with the thought that he'd been killed, but no definitive evidence existed to prove it.

Then, in 1991, and later in 2003, several items belonging to Major Danielson were brought to the attention of U.S. authorities. From there, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command led a search into Laos looking for more clues; Commander Danielson was among the team looking for his father. No further evidence was discovered, but DNA testing would later link previous evidence to Major Danielson, giving proof that he'd indeed been killed in action. 

The 319th Air Refueling Wing has played a key role in providing airlift for several previous joint POW/MIA Account Command missions to Southeast Asia. 

The Danielson funeral is a very unique story, but the base honor guard takes it all in stride. The team serves a four-state, 151,000-square-mile region, ensuring fellow servicemembers - from any generation - receive proper military honors.

Note: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael Sheehan, Navy Operational Support Center Minneapolis Public Affairs contributed to this article