HONORED ON PANEL 18E, LINE 4 OF THE WALL
DOUGLAS C HOLLAND
WALL NAME
DOUGLAS C HOLLAND
PANEL / LINE
18E/4
DATE OF BIRTH
CASUALTY PROVINCE
DATE OF CASUALTY
HOME OF RECORD
COUNTY OF RECORD
STATE
BRANCH OF SERVICE
RANK
REMEMBRANCES
LEFT FOR DOUGLAS C HOLLAND
POSTED ON 5.22.2002
POSTED BY: CLAY MARSTON
IN REMEMBRANCE OF THIS FINE YOUNG UNITED STATES ARMY SKY SOLDIER WHOSE NAME SHALL LIVE FOREVER MORE
SPECIALIST 4
DOUGLAS C HOLLAND
served with
COMPANY C
1st BRIGADE
503rd INFANTRY
101st AIRBORNE DIVISION
" THE SCREAMING EAGLES "
who was lost going to the aid
of a fellow comrade in arms
YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE
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POSTED ON 2.18.2002
POSTED BY: joe renner
Ironic Ending to GI's Last Mission
from STARS & STRIPES April 15, 1967
It was about a month ago that Spec. 4 Douglas Holland, 23 of Anita, Iowa returned to Vietnam from R & R leave in Tokyo with an elaborate outfit of photo equipment. Doug had spent six months as an infantryman with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Then he was switched to the brigade information office because of his talent for writing and photography. His new cameras would see him through his final weeks in Vietnam, then he would go home. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Russell F. Holland recently moved from Iowa to Sepulveda, California. Doug had arranged a lecture tour of Iowa high schools to provide the students with "a soldier's view of Vietnam".
With just 21 days left to go in Vietnam, Doug asked to go on one last combat assault with his company. A routine operation was scheduled in war zone C, northwest of Saigon. Doug wanted to get some photographs to help illustrate his planned lectures. As the helicopters entered the landing zone, it was obvious that this would not be a routine mission. VietCong were in the treelines and had planted mines in the clearing. Before the helicopters could land they came under fire and quickly 20 men of the 173rd were killed or wounded. Doug, described by one of his buddies as "great under fire" quickly put down his cameras and went to work helping the medics. Doug's dream of returning to Iowa and starting his lecture tour ended that day. His last picture was of a medic tending to a wounded soldier.
It was about a month ago that Spec. 4 Douglas Holland, 23 of Anita, Iowa returned to Vietnam from R & R leave in Tokyo with an elaborate outfit of photo equipment. Doug had spent six months as an infantryman with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Then he was switched to the brigade information office because of his talent for writing and photography. His new cameras would see him through his final weeks in Vietnam, then he would go home. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Russell F. Holland recently moved from Iowa to Sepulveda, California. Doug had arranged a lecture tour of Iowa high schools to provide the students with "a soldier's view of Vietnam".
With just 21 days left to go in Vietnam, Doug asked to go on one last combat assault with his company. A routine operation was scheduled in war zone C, northwest of Saigon. Doug wanted to get some photographs to help illustrate his planned lectures. As the helicopters entered the landing zone, it was obvious that this would not be a routine mission. VietCong were in the treelines and had planted mines in the clearing. Before the helicopters could land they came under fire and quickly 20 men of the 173rd were killed or wounded. Doug, described by one of his buddies as "great under fire" quickly put down his cameras and went to work helping the medics. Doug's dream of returning to Iowa and starting his lecture tour ended that day. His last picture was of a medic tending to a wounded soldier.
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