I served with SFC Holland in the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) Platoon prior to his death. I joined the platoon in June of 1967 as it was conducting extremely dangerous missions in the Dak To area of the Central Highlands. I was a “new guy” but being from New Jersey (Hopewell), SFC Holland was extremely approachable and answered all questions I had concerning the current operations. SFC Holland was very knowledgeable and professional, and could easily have been on a recruitment poster for airborne rangers. He was a respecfed Team Leader and well liked in the platoon. Although I did not run a mission with him for the two months prior to his death, I knew from other platoon members that he conducted his missions with courage and aggressiveness. The Dak To area had thick jungle covered 3, 000 foot mountains with steep ravines and few clearings for choppers to land. This area was where the borders of Cambodia, Laos and South Vietnam all come together and provided the trail networks for North Vietnamese troops to enter into Vietnam. The area was extremely active in the summer of 1967, and our missions were conducted to find these NVA units. On the day SFC Holland was K.I.A., (August 18, 1967) I had just returned from a mission and SFC Holland’s team and other teams were still out. Word went around quickly that SFC Holland’s team was in extreme trouble with no radio contact. Eventually that day the team was located and extracted by chopper, but SFC Holland was M.I.A. The team had been hit hard by a large NVA force and SFC Holland went back to the surveillance site to retrieve the team’s radio. This action allowed the rest of the team to escape and be extracted without serious injuries. The follwing day, team members accompanied a reinforced infantry line company back to the site and located and returned SFC Holland’s remains. He had fought valiantly to the end. At the time it was believed that SFC Holland was going to be put in for an award of thd Medal of Honor for his actions on that day. I learned years later that he received the nation’s second highest award for valor, the Distinguish Service Cross. He was a true American hero and everyone should read his medal citation. General James Gavin of the famed 82nd Airborne Division during z WWII once stated “show me a man who will jump out of an airplane and I will show you a man who will fight”. SFC Charles J. Holland showed them.
Irvin W. Moran, 173rd Airborne Brigade LRRP, 1967-68
Green Bay, Virginia
