STORY BEHIND THE PLAQUE
Service Reflections of Sgt James Holzier, U.S. Marine Corps (1965-1969)

I was influenced by the girl that I was dating; her father was a full-bird Colonel in the Army by the name of Col. Austin Yerks. He felt that with Vietnam, it was a patriotic thing for me to do. I was planning to go into the Air Force with a buddy of mine, but at the truly last minute, I got off the bus and went to a Marine Corps recruiter. I joined on my birthday, August 18th, and never missed not joining the Air Force except for the extra pay that they received for uncomfortable living conditions in Vietnam and their unlimited supply of food.

I left the Marine Corps to attend college at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. I had been accepted by several universities but decided on UNM based on its Architectural School. I had never been to Albuquerque and looked at it as a challenge that I wanted to take on. A Captain that I had met had graduated from UNM and strongly recommended it, so that is where I decided to go.

I participated in several Military Combat operations while I was in Vietnam in multiple roles. I filled in the ranks when necessary if I was awaiting assignments due to losses. Also, I assumed my regular job as Scout/Sniper when called upon for target assignments and/or blocking entry or exit from our operational area.

I was often loaned to other Companies, Battalions, or Regiments as needed to support their own Sniper Teams, mainly due to WIA/KIA/MIA.

After I was rotated back to the States in late 1967, I represented the Marine Corps in an inter-service rifle match held at Camp Lejeune, N.C.. This was a Rifle match against the other services, and I was picked, along with three other Marines from across the world, to represent the Marine Corps. I shot all 10 (Bulls Eyes) at 600 yards without scope in that match using an M1 rifle. When I was in Nam, I had targets above the DMZ as well as Laos, so those were the ones that were the most prevalent on my mind.

I was in action many times while I was in Vietnam. I had several situations that I thought I would not survive. Quickly, one was when I was assigned a target near Hill 55, and my first spotter, Charlie Lewis, was killed. The second worst was on Operation Deckhouse IV, where I was assigned to the 5th Recon Battalion, and we were on loan to support a LARRP landing of a few 1/26 Marines. After several miles of reconnaissance, we were ambushed. Our Recon team immediately withdrew toward our scheduled extraction area. After a few minutes of making our way through the bush, I looked back, and my spotter, Doug Mowbray, was not with us. I headed back and found him under a bush deceased. I could still almost smell the gooks, so I pulled Doug over my shoulder and headed again to the extraction area. When I got there, the LARRP team was in the chopper, and it was headed back to base. I had Mow in a fireman’s carry and headed to The Rockpile.

While I was carrying him back to our lines, I had to lay in a ditch at night with our Gillies suits on, and soon, two NVR guards were standing on a path next to where I was lying. I could see them and hear their every breath, but somehow, they did not see me or my spotter. And this is where Mow, Douglas Mowbray, my second spotter, lost his life. Now, I have a severe case of PTSD and cannot sleep and have many nightmares about these and other encounters, so I have no desire to reflect on it anymore, and this question directly addresses those areas.

My fondest experience was at the Navy Annex in Arlington, Virginia, where I worked with the Generals’ promotion board under Col. John A. Daskalakis. He landed on Iwo Jima and was the first sergeant of some of the Marines who raised the flag. He was like a father to me and is now buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Least – Hill 69, Con Tien, Dong Ha, Liberty Bridge, Rock Pile, An Hoa, and assigned targets above the DMZ, Hill 55.

My brothers in arms. The impact is I now know that combat is serious and deadly, and I would never send my son or grandson to fight a politician’s war as we did. But I now have brothers that will always be in my heart. Although Vietnam has remained the #1 impact in my life, there were good times with my Marine Brothers, but unfortunately, far too little. The time I spent with Col. Daskalakis at the Promotion Branch along with Col. Young while servicing the Promotion Boards chaired by many Generals.

Surviving Vietnam when many did not. I do not want to discuss the details of my experience in Nam more than I already have. The nightmares that I have are so vivid and seem like yesterday that I cannot and will not discuss them again. I am proud of my contributions to my brother Marines in Nam. I am also proud of my work as the head Orderly for the Promotions Branch and the many letters of Accommodation that I received from many of the Heads of the various boards that I was responsible for, including the one from General Nickerson, who became the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Expert Rifle and expert pistol for each year that I was in the Marine Corps. People today do not believe that a regular Marine would have to qualify at 250 yards, 350 yards, and 500 yards without a scope. They never believed that I hit all bullseyes at 600 yards without a scope when I represented the Corps in the Inter-service rifle match at Camp LeJeune. Especially Army and Air Force Dudes. It was a great honor to be selected as one of 4 Marines to represent the Marine Corps: my Bronze Star with Combat “V,” Purple Heart, and the various Vietnam ribbons.

Colonel Daskalakis – We had many long chats as to what I should plan for my life after the Corps. Also, Jimmy Jackson from Philly and Joe Harris from DC will always be in my heart. Steve Sherman, my best friend who was KIA in Nam, and Charley Truscott, who was KIA in Nam, trying to address Steve and another Marine’s wounds received in an ambush. The two Spotters that I lost while accompanying me on assignments/targets. They are embedded in my heart and mind. Doug Mowbray was the hardest to accept as he was a Marine’s Marine and came out of Force Recon.

1.) Jimmy Jackson – P.I. and 2/5 Vietnam. Jimmy was a true Marine, big, strong, and an excellent boxer. He did not care what color your skin was, and he treated everyone equally.

2.) Joe Harris – P.I. and 2/5 Vietnam. Joe was the most unselfish guy I had ever met. He lost half of his foot in Vietnam but only cared about the others who were in the same action.

3.) Steve Sherman – From our Oath to 2/5 Vietnam. Steve was my best friend. He was WIA on May 3, 1966, but passed on due to his wounds in July of that year. I think about Steve every day.

4.) Jim Emerson – P.I., Vietnam and Promotion Branch at HdQtr. Marine Corp. Jim and I and our families became close after our return to the States. He passed away a few years back in his hometown of Danville, Va., as did his wife, Janus.

5.) Gene Bell – P.I., 2/5 Vietnam. Gene was from Halls Hill in Arlington, Va. He was small but one of the toughest guys you will ever meet. He was WIA by a 50 caliber, and when I loaded him on the chopper for Evac, I thought I would never see him again. But almost three years later, and two years in Walter Reed, I met him again the day we opted out of the Corp. It was truly a miracle.

6.) Mike Ronan – 2/5 Vietnam. Mike and I were in the same platoon but separated when I went to Scout/Sniper school. I saw Mike again in Nam when I was being trucked back from an assignment, and I am so grateful that we have made the connection again after all these years. He is a heck of a guy and has helped me greatly.

7.) Doug Mowbray – 2/5 Vietnam. Mow was an excellent spotter and a large Force Recon Marine who was assigned to me after I lost Charlie Lewis. I do not want to write about Mow’s death as it was something his family would never want to read about.

There were many laughs up until Vietnam, but then they went away. Unfortunately, my mind focuses only on the not-so-funny things.

After I left the Marines, I attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Upon graduation, I entered the High-Tech field, working for companies such as Tektronix, Intergraph, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle Corporation. I retired from Oracle in 2014. I became a partner in a company called Fibro Plus and eventually bought out my partner, so I am the sole owner.

Always be committed to what you choose to do, give it 100%, and Never Ever Quit! I miss my Marine brothers the most. Those few years in the military put a lifelong stamp on my heart, both in a positive nature as well as negative. I have nightmares each night and cannot shake them over incidents that happened over 58 years ago.

Always be committed to what you choose to do, give it 100%, and Never Ever Quit! I miss my Marine brothers the most. Those few years in the military put a lifelong stamp on my heart, both in a positive nature as well as negative. I have nightmares each night and cannot shake them over incidents that happened over 58 years ago.

The memories are what I am troubled with, having PTSD.

KC 9.20.24