Bernard Joseph Goss – Colonel, United States Air Force

Full Name: BERNARD JOSEPH GOSS
Date of Birth: 1/10/1931
Date of Casualty: 4/23/1966
Home of Record: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK
Branch of Service: AIR FORCE
Rank: COL
Casualty Country: NORTH VIETNAM
Casualty Province: NZ
Status: MIA

GOSS, BERNARD JOSEPH

Name: Bernard Joseph Goss
Branch/Rank: United States Air Force/O4
Date of Birth: 10 January 1931
Home City of Record: SYRACUSE NY
Date of Loss: 23 April 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D

REMARKS: 08/78 REMAINS RETURNED MONTGOM HANOI

NAME: GOSS Bernard J., Maj., USAF
OFFICIAL STATUS: DEAD, BODY NOT RECOVERED (PRESUMPTIVE)

RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: After his aircraft was hit Maj. Goss did not indicate that he was injured during radio communications. He was observed to eject with a good parachute, and was seen to land on the ground. No subsequent correlated reports of death have been received for Major Goss.

(U) CASE SUMMARY

1. On 23 April 1966 Maj. Bernard J. Goss was the pilot of the lead F105D aircraft, (#61-048, call sign PECAN 01), in a flight of four on a strike
mission over North Vietnam. In the target area he was seen by his wingman to drop his ordnance and to start a turn when his aircraft was hit by
anti-aircraft fire. He asked if anyone was with him, making no mention of being hurt. While in a slight climb he was observed to eject and a good parachute was seen, A beeper signal was heard and his parachute was, seen to land on the north side of a steep, heavily wooded hill in the vicinity of grid coordinates XJ 172 906. The area was circled once, but he was not seen on the ground. No search and rescue efforts were conducted because of the location and approaching darkness.

2. During the existence of JCRC, the hostile threat in the area precluded any visits to or ground inspections of the site involved in this case. Major Gross is currently carried in the presumptive status of Dead, Body Not Recovered.

REMARKS: 08/78 REMAINS RETURNED MONTGOM HANOI

NOTE: Major Goss continued to be promoted until the determination of died, body not recovered was made, at that time he was a Colonel.  His remains were recovered in August 1978 and subsequenstly laid to rest with full military honors in Section 11, Grave 346-C, Arlington National Cemetery.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard