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| In Honor & Remembrance of Gary Leroy Holz Corporal United States Army Auburn, Washington A-Company 227TH AVN Battalion 11TH AVN Group 1st Calvary Division A Brave Trooper & My Big Brother 17 May 1945 - 08 October 1967 Gary, We Will Never Forget You! |
| Photo Taken At The Vietnam Wall of Me, Ron Holz, Pointing To My Brothers Name. Within The In the Wall Is The Reflection of My Brother, Cpl. Gary L. Holz. |
I would like those who did not know my big brother, MY HERO, to
know a little bit about him. Gary L. Holz was my big brother and my
friend. He always treated me kindly, and looked out for me as we were
growing up.
I beat him to Vietnam and I think that may have upset him a little as he
had to take care of me in his own mind. I was with the 4th Infantry
Division as an 11B10, Rifleman, I was based out of the Michelin Rubber
Plantation in 1966/67. Gary was a door gunner with the 1st Cav and he
was very proud of his unit, as I was, our unit had taken heavy losses
and Gary was very concerned about me, I do believe he came to
Vietnam, so I could go home. On 05 Oct 67 on approach to the LZ at
Phan-Thiet Vietnam his chopper turned onto its side and fell to earth
and exploded upon impact. Gary was found leaning up against a
bunker burned and in shock, he died on 08 Oct 67.
I was told of his death about 5 days later. I was then sent home to be
with my parents before his body arrived home, this was very hard on
my parents and me as we waited for Gary to come home. Gary left a 2
year old son, Marty Holz, at home - he has grown into a fine man and a
father. I know that Gary would have been very proud of him.
I miss my Big Brother, and I know that he is with his buddies are with
GOD now, but the hurt and the pain will never leave me, as I remember
Vietnam like it all happened yesterday!
Ron Holz
4th Inf Div Grunt, Vietnam 66/67
inf4thdivision@aol.com
******************************************************************************************
Auburn Globe-News 11 Oct 1967
Gary Holz in Fatal Viet 'Copter Crash - Gary LeRoy Holz, 22, former
resident of 812 26th St. S. E., Auburn, died in Vietnam, Sunday, as a
result of burns and injuries received in a helicopter crash Thursday.
Born in Fargo ND, 17 May 1945, he moved to the Steel Lake area in
1952, attended Washington Elementary, Cascade Junior High and
graduated from Auburn High School in 1963. Gary worked for Glenn
Rockey Construction Co., two years before enlisting in the Army 7 Sep
1966. He had his basic training at Fort Lewis and volunteered for duty
in Vietnam last April. Shot down earlier in Vietnam, he was a helicopter
gunner with the 227th Aviation Battalion, Ft. Airborn Division [sic].
Surviving, all of Auburn, are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon H. Holz;
a son, Martin Bradley Holz; a half brother, Dallas Lindsey; a brother,
Pvt. Ronald V. Holz, U. S. Army, stationed in Thailand; a sister, Jo Ann
and his grandmothers: Mrs. Pauline Aure and Mrs. Laura Holz. His
body is being escorted back to Auburn by his brother with services to
be arranged by the Price-Helton Funeral Chapel.
Auburn WA Globe 18 Oct 1967
Gary Holz, Vietnam Casualty, Is Buried Funeral service for Army Cp.
Gary L. Holz, who died in Vietnam, was at Messiah Lutheran Church in
Auburn Monday, The Rev. Eric Sigmar officiated. Military Graveside
services in Mt. View Cemetery were under the direction of the Price-
Helton Funeral Chapel. Corporal Holz died 8 Oct (1967) from injuries
sustained in a helicopter crash in Vietnam. Surviving, all of Auburn, are
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon H. Holz; a son, Martin Bradley Holz; a
half brother, Dallas Lindsey; a brother, Pvt. Ronald V. Holz, U. S. Army,
stationed in Thailand; a sister, Jo Ann and his grandmothers: Mrs.
Pauline Aure and Mrs. Laura Holz.
The Circumstances:
"On 5 Oct 1967, Holz was aboard a UH-1H helicopter as a door gunner,
along with two pilots and a crew chief. Holz, a supplyman by training,
apparently wanted to get into some of the action. While his records
show that he was with Headquarters (HHC), he was actually with A
Company that day when they went to take off.
"The location was Landing Zone (LZ) Betty near Phan Thiet, the capital
of Binh Thuan Province - northeast of Saigon on the South China Sea.
This particular helicopter was new, and had just been upgraded from a
UH-1D to a -1H to increase its power and speed. They were scrambling
to go pick up some troops and insert them just north of Phan Thiet
where contact had been made."
Pfc Holz was the only survivor, but died of wounds sustained three
days later
Additional Note:
On 05 Oct 1967 a new UH-1H (tail number 66-16803) of Company A,
227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, was in formation flight on final
approach. At approximately 100 feet altitude, the aircraft pitched up to
90 degrees nose high attitude, rolled right, crashed inverted, and
burned. Although the aircraft crashed into a troop area, only one
person on the ground was injured - but all four crewmen died:
• WO Ralph E. Bowen, Jackson, MI, pilot
• WO Donald R. Phipps, San Jose, CA, copilot
• CPL Gary L. Holz, Auburn, WA, gunner (died 10/08/1967)
• PFC Stanley R. Uding, San Pablo, CA, crew chief
The investigation revealed a failed trunion bearing on the main rotor
pitch control, causing loss of control.
know a little bit about him. Gary L. Holz was my big brother and my
friend. He always treated me kindly, and looked out for me as we were
growing up.
I beat him to Vietnam and I think that may have upset him a little as he
had to take care of me in his own mind. I was with the 4th Infantry
Division as an 11B10, Rifleman, I was based out of the Michelin Rubber
Plantation in 1966/67. Gary was a door gunner with the 1st Cav and he
was very proud of his unit, as I was, our unit had taken heavy losses
and Gary was very concerned about me, I do believe he came to
Vietnam, so I could go home. On 05 Oct 67 on approach to the LZ at
Phan-Thiet Vietnam his chopper turned onto its side and fell to earth
and exploded upon impact. Gary was found leaning up against a
bunker burned and in shock, he died on 08 Oct 67.
I was told of his death about 5 days later. I was then sent home to be
with my parents before his body arrived home, this was very hard on
my parents and me as we waited for Gary to come home. Gary left a 2
year old son, Marty Holz, at home - he has grown into a fine man and a
father. I know that Gary would have been very proud of him.
I miss my Big Brother, and I know that he is with his buddies are with
GOD now, but the hurt and the pain will never leave me, as I remember
Vietnam like it all happened yesterday!
Ron Holz
4th Inf Div Grunt, Vietnam 66/67
inf4thdivision@aol.com
******************************************************************************************
Auburn Globe-News 11 Oct 1967
Gary Holz in Fatal Viet 'Copter Crash - Gary LeRoy Holz, 22, former
resident of 812 26th St. S. E., Auburn, died in Vietnam, Sunday, as a
result of burns and injuries received in a helicopter crash Thursday.
Born in Fargo ND, 17 May 1945, he moved to the Steel Lake area in
1952, attended Washington Elementary, Cascade Junior High and
graduated from Auburn High School in 1963. Gary worked for Glenn
Rockey Construction Co., two years before enlisting in the Army 7 Sep
1966. He had his basic training at Fort Lewis and volunteered for duty
in Vietnam last April. Shot down earlier in Vietnam, he was a helicopter
gunner with the 227th Aviation Battalion, Ft. Airborn Division [sic].
Surviving, all of Auburn, are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon H. Holz;
a son, Martin Bradley Holz; a half brother, Dallas Lindsey; a brother,
Pvt. Ronald V. Holz, U. S. Army, stationed in Thailand; a sister, Jo Ann
and his grandmothers: Mrs. Pauline Aure and Mrs. Laura Holz. His
body is being escorted back to Auburn by his brother with services to
be arranged by the Price-Helton Funeral Chapel.
Auburn WA Globe 18 Oct 1967
Gary Holz, Vietnam Casualty, Is Buried Funeral service for Army Cp.
Gary L. Holz, who died in Vietnam, was at Messiah Lutheran Church in
Auburn Monday, The Rev. Eric Sigmar officiated. Military Graveside
services in Mt. View Cemetery were under the direction of the Price-
Helton Funeral Chapel. Corporal Holz died 8 Oct (1967) from injuries
sustained in a helicopter crash in Vietnam. Surviving, all of Auburn, are
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon H. Holz; a son, Martin Bradley Holz; a
half brother, Dallas Lindsey; a brother, Pvt. Ronald V. Holz, U. S. Army,
stationed in Thailand; a sister, Jo Ann and his grandmothers: Mrs.
Pauline Aure and Mrs. Laura Holz.
The Circumstances:
"On 5 Oct 1967, Holz was aboard a UH-1H helicopter as a door gunner,
along with two pilots and a crew chief. Holz, a supplyman by training,
apparently wanted to get into some of the action. While his records
show that he was with Headquarters (HHC), he was actually with A
Company that day when they went to take off.
"The location was Landing Zone (LZ) Betty near Phan Thiet, the capital
of Binh Thuan Province - northeast of Saigon on the South China Sea.
This particular helicopter was new, and had just been upgraded from a
UH-1D to a -1H to increase its power and speed. They were scrambling
to go pick up some troops and insert them just north of Phan Thiet
where contact had been made."
Pfc Holz was the only survivor, but died of wounds sustained three
days later
Additional Note:
On 05 Oct 1967 a new UH-1H (tail number 66-16803) of Company A,
227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, was in formation flight on final
approach. At approximately 100 feet altitude, the aircraft pitched up to
90 degrees nose high attitude, rolled right, crashed inverted, and
burned. Although the aircraft crashed into a troop area, only one
person on the ground was injured - but all four crewmen died:
• WO Ralph E. Bowen, Jackson, MI, pilot
• WO Donald R. Phipps, San Jose, CA, copilot
• CPL Gary L. Holz, Auburn, WA, gunner (died 10/08/1967)
• PFC Stanley R. Uding, San Pablo, CA, crew chief
The investigation revealed a failed trunion bearing on the main rotor
pitch control, causing loss of control.
| Left: Ron Holz, 4TH. INF. DIV. Grunt 66/67 (the little blond kid) Right: Gary L. Holz, A Co 227TH Air Assault Team 1ST AIR CAV KIA 08 Oct 67 |
