It only took 47 years.
It’s a long overdue honor, but Marine Sgt. John R. Holmes will be honored Nov. 11 when his name is officially added to the Manatee County Vietnam honor roll located in the veterans area of River Park near Manatee Memorial Hospital, 206 Second St. E., Bradenton.
Holmes was injured Jan. 31, 1968, during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. Shortly after being injured, Holmes was medically evacuated and fell into a coma during transport.
Later that year, Holmes was brought to Bay Pines Veterans Hospital in St. Petersburg, where he remained for the rest of his life. He never emerged from his coma and died in 2001.
Pat Holmes, Sgt. Holmes’ younger sister, has been working to make sure her brother is honored. “We were close,” she said. “His injury really affected me and I want to make sure he’s honored for his service.”
Pat and her mother, Betty, wife of the late John Holmes Jr., are among the family members plan to attend the ceremony when Holmes’ name will be added to the list of 30 Manatee County military service members who gave their lives during the Vietnam War.
The unveiling ceremony by the Manatee County Veterans Council will be at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, along the Manatee River Walk, at the hospital’s north side parking area.
This is so well deserved for a young man who lost his whole life in Vietnam but survived all these years. I am deeply sorry for the pain of his family and appreciate very much the people who brought about this long overdue and richly deserved commendation. May he finally rest in peace.