LTC Daniel Edward Holland, R.I.P.
by David Benzion · 05/29/2006 7:25 am
LTC Daniel Edward Holland (43), beloved husband, father, son, and brother, died May 18th, 2006 while serving his country in Iraq.
Daniel was an Army veterinarian, assigned to South Plains District Veterinary Command at Ft. Hood, TX, attached to the 352nd Civil Affairs Command at Fort Bragg, NC, further attached to the 4th Infantry Division as the Chief of the Public Health and Functional Specialty Teams for Civil Affairs. He and three other soldiers along with an Iraqi interpreter were killed by a roadside bomb near Baghdad while on a humanitarian mission to aid the people of Iraq.
Daniel is survived by his wife Sheryl, son Garrett, and daughter Rachel of Boerne, TX, parents Col. (Ret.) and Mrs. Herbert S. Holland, Jr., of San Antonio, parents-in-law Bancker and Lana Cade of Boerne, brothers and sisters (and their spouses): Col. (Ret.) Robert F. Holland (Carol) of Houston, Mark M. Holland (Josie) of Houston, Patricia Nixon (Thomas) of Oklahoma City, David W. Holland (MaryAnn) of New Braunfels, Mary K. Ralya (Steven) of Brenham, TX, Major (Ret.) John R. Holland (Rita) of Minneapolis, Claire Nieswiadomy (Michael) of Denton, TX, Catherine Ochoa (Joseph) of New Braunfels, and Elizabeth Blute (Peter) of Houston, sister-in-law Kellie Robinson of Boerne, and many beloved nieces and nephews.
Daniel was born in Munich, Germany on April 5th, 1963, the youngest of 10 children, into a military family, moving several times. His father retired in Marlow, Oklahoma and Daniel became a farm boy at the age of 11, where he began to develop his love for the country life. He graduated from Marlow High School in 1981, where he was selected to give the commencement address, entered Oklahoma State University on an ROTC scholarship, transferring after three years into OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. His dreams were realized when he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army in 1984 and when he received a DVM degree in 1988. He and Sheryl Patton were married in August 1985 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Daniel had many interests, but his favorite times were spent with his wife and his “munchkins”, helping them develop their love of animals and the outdoor life. One of his recent pleasures was taking his son on his first hunting trip. The joy of seeing his daughter win Grand Champion hog at the County Fair was indescribable. He, Rachel and Garrett spent hours reading, playing games, and tending to their animals. Other interests included hunting, fishing, country and western music and dancing, trips to Las Vegas, sports, and travel, to more than 40 countries. Dan was a devout Catholic. He loved living in Texas, which allowed frequent visits with family.
LTC Holland’s 21-year career in the military included tours in Germany, Bosnia, Honduras, and Haiti, where he was able to use his Masters Degree in Public Health. His love for animals and his compassion for people of all nations were profound.
For this reason the family requests that memorial contributions be made to The Christian Veterinary Mission www.christianvetmission.org (206-546-7569) or any fund that supports wounded soldiers.
LTC Holland’s military decorations include four awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal, and he was proud to have earned the Expert Field Medical Badge and Parachutist Badge. He will be awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.
Daniel will be buried with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Wednesday May 31, following a noon funeral Mass at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in New Braunfels, TX. There will be visitation from 5:00-6:30pm Tuesday evening, May 30, followed immediately by a Rosary service at Zoeller Funeral Home in New Braunfels.
Daniel will be remembered for his warm and outgoing personality, his love of God and family, his dedicated service to our great country, and the way he always made people laugh when it came time to say goodbye, because he’d smile and say “Glad you got to see me!”
He will be greatly missed.
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14 Responses to “LTC Daniel Edward Holland, R.I.P.”Search
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The purpose of this post is to honor the sacrifice of LTC Daniel Holland and all others who have fallen in service to our nation. This is a sacred space– political debates are inappropriate here. Off-topic or inappropriate comments will be deleted.
I would hope that ALL would have the common decency not to place inappropriate posts here.
Daniel Holland and all of the veterans who served and protected America….we salute you and thank you for your service to our country. You made the ultimate sacrifice. It is because men and women like you that we have the freedoms that we enjoy today. May God Bless you and be glad to see you.
Thank you for your sacrifice. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.
You have given what everyone holds most dear, your very life. You did it in service of a nation that you love and that loves you. For what you have done and the sacrifice made, I thank you. I thank your family and may God bless and keep them all.
LTC Holland,
Words cannot begin to convey the gratitude of the people for whom you served and died. Words are all I have, so I will use them in prayer, to lift up you and your family in their grief. God bless each and every one.
A sincere and heartfelt ‘thank you’. May God bless you and everyone else who has served our country proudly. You represent the best of us, and I am humbled by your, and your family’s, sacrifice.
Sheryl,
I am not sure if these message are even getting to you. But this message is for you. I am so sorry for your loss, and I wish I had met your husband. I have only heard that he was a really great man. Perhaps one day our paths will cross again as I truly valued the friendship we had in our “early years” and have thought of you often over the years.
May God comfort you, your children, and both families during this time of grief.
Parmala “Patti” Simmons Strawther
#7 pstrawther and other readers
The Holland family is aware of this post and is reviewing comments.
Without this brave man, the world will be a little duller, the sun will not shine as bright and the stars will blink in awe of who he was and what he did for love of God and his country. God bless him and his family. May God hold them in the palm of His hand and comfort them and give them peace.
The Christian Veterinary Mission family is in prayer for the Holland family during this most difficult time. We are grateful to the Lord for the gift of Dr. Holland to CVM and to the profession of veterinary medicine. He has touched many lives and will be remembered well for his faithful service through the profession.
Sheryl, Rachel, and Garrett,
When a tiny drop of rain hits the pond, a ripple of water beings to encircle the dropplette and speads outward in all directions reaching towards the distant shore. I reflect in Daniel much like that drop of rain. His life was like that drop of rain that effected change exponentially. When driving towards the Fort Hood National Cemetery on Wednesday, I looked out at the long line of cars and the hundreds of people in them and see the enfluence of that droplette.
As a child, I recalled the priest speaking of a parable of Jesus greeting a person who had just entered those pearly gates. Jesus was walking down the streets past the mansions and the man became excited about his lovely new home. They turned down a street and the houses became less extravagant. Finally, they turned into a small lot with just a few brick which started to form a wall. Jesus said to the man, this is your new home. The man exclaimed to Jesus, Lord, why do I not have a beautiful mansion? The Lord replied “We did the best we could with what you sent up”.
When I think of this, I can only say “Dan finally got his ranch”.
We will miss you. We will never forget you. We are all better for knowing you. God Bless. (MK)
Mrs. Holland, blessings to you, Rachel and Garrett. I am a soldier and I had the pleasure of knowing and talking to LTC Holland often before he left. He sent me an email congratulating me on being selected for my next rank. When I received the email I was so happy because his words were so kind just like him. He would always shake my hand and ask how I was doing when he dropped by the office on Ft. Sam. My husband and I saw him in Olive Garden a while back with his mother and I remember him saying something to make my husband and me laugh very hard. I am so glad I got a chance to know your husband and your father. He was truly awesome. May God bless and keep you.
Very Respectfully,
TDM
Sheryl,
My deepest sympathy on your loss. LTC Holland was a great Soldier, man, father and husband. I was his NCOIC at Fort Harrison, IN (1988). God bless you and your family.
Dan Pirofsky
MSG (Retired)U.S. Army Veterinary Command
Sheryl,
You may never know of this and perhaps too much time has passed to remember me. I never had the benefit of meeting Daniel in person but reading all of these tributes shows me that he was a great man, father, husband, and that the two of you were truly blessed by one another. Your Family has my deepest sympathy and will be in my prayers.
Buddy Baker