Kentucky State Police to Escort Fallen Airman’s Remains to Berea

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (September 15, 2025) – The Kentucky State Police (KSP) will provide an escort for the remains of U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant (SSG) Henry Gerald Gish as he returns home to Kentucky more than five decades after making the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War. 

On Thursday, September 18, 2025, SSG Gish’s remains will arrive at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Following arrival, KSP troopers will lead a law enforcement procession transporting him to Berea, Kentucky, where he will be laid to rest with full military honors.

SSG Gish was assigned to a classified radar site in Laos during the Vietnam War. On March 11, 1968, his position was attacked and overrun by Vietnamese commandos, causing the Americans to seek safety on a narrow edge of the steep mountain. Gish and ten other Americans were killed and he was declared missing in action. After extensive recovery and identification efforts, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) recently announced his remains had been accounted for. 

“Escorting Staff Sergeant Gish home is a tremendous honor,” said KSP Post 4 Commander Jeremy Smith. “His bravery and sacrifice exemplify the highest traditions of service and it is our privilege to ensure he is returned to his family and laid to rest with dignity.” 

Troopers from KSP Post 4 in Elizabethtown, Post 7 in Richmond and Post 11 in London will join together to lead the escort, ensuring Staff Sergeant Gish is honored along his journey home.  

A full press release from Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency can be located here.

# # #