THE WALL OF FACES

Semper Fi Marine

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

Marine Corps Recruit Depot
Parris Island, SC
Second Battalion
Platoon 255

Training Dates:
-1962-

SGT J.G. Mains - Senior Drill Instructor
SGT L.J. Kahrer - Junior Drill Instructor
SGT T.F. Murphy - Junior Drill Instructor

CPL Johnny Ray Halloway was the only
member of Platoon 255 to be KIA in Viet Nam.

Corporal Johnny Ray Holloway was the son of Loane W. Bevill and Anderson B. Holloway (Deceased) of Okolona, MS. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on August 1, 1962 in Memphis, TN. Cpl Holloway was a Marine Mortarman and was assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), III MAF, FMFPac for duty with the Battalion 81mm Mortar Platoon. On March 4, Operation UTAH was launched under the command of Task Force Delta in the Son Thinh District of Quang Ngai Province where the Marines would encounter elements of the 21st NVA Regiment. On D-day 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines conducted a helicopter assault near the Chau Ngai complex of villages and was heavily engaged with a regiment of NVA regulars near Hill 50 and Hill 35. Elements of F Company and H Company were overrun but were able to recover and consolidate to a night position near Chau Ngai 4. By the end of D-Day, 2/7 counted 94 enemy KIA and estimated 63 WIA. Friendly losses were 44 KIA and 84 WIA. An additional 20+ persons received minor wounds and were not evacuated. The next day, 5 March, the battle moved to the North and 2/7 cleaned up the battlefields from the day before, recovering the dead, and clearing out caves and bunkers. On March 4, 1966, Cpl Holloway was killed in action dying outright from enemy small arms fire. Cpl Holloway is honored on the Vietnam Memorial on Panel 05E, Line 104.

Dear Cpl Johnny Holloway, Thank you for your service as a Mortarman. Your 74th birthday is soon, happy birthday. This week is Independence Day, and there is no better time to honor you. Please watch over the USA, it still needs your strength. Rest in peace with the angels.