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Melvin Charles Holland

Corporal Melvin C. Holland served with Baker Company, VAC Amphibious Recon Battalion.
He was reported missing in action near Iwo Jima on 18 February 1945.

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 441612

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

June 26, 1924
at Brooklyn, IA

Parents

Samuel Jefferson Holland
Hessie Jane (Fraser) Holland

Education

Details unknown

 

Occupation & Employer

Redman’s Grocery, Oskaloosa, IA

Service Life

Entered Service

August 31, 1942
at Des Moines, IA

Home Of Record

Oskaloosa, IA

Next Of Kin

Parents, Sam & Hessie Holland
233 Cambridge Street, Los Angeles, CA

Military Specialty

Recon Marine

Primary Unit

VAC Amphibious Recon Bn.

Campaigns Served

Gilbert Islands
Marshall Islands (Eniwetok atoll)
Mariana Islands (Tinian)
Iwo Jima

Individual Decorations

Bronze Star Medal (date unknown)
Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Attached to Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) 15 for Iwo Jima operation.

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

Melvin Charles Holland was a highly experienced recon Marine assigned to the Fifth Amphibious Corps (VAC) Recon Battalion. From 26 December 1944 to 6 January 1945, he received special training at the Naval Combat Demolition and Experimental Training Base in preparation for an upcoming operation. After additional rehearsals and training in the Hawaiian Islands, his company sailed for Iwo Jima aboard the USS Bladen.

The Iwo task force stopped at Saipan to make final preparations.  On 11 February 1945, three recon Marines were temporarily attached to Underwater Demolition Teams “to act as observes for Headquarters VAC, and work with the UDT off the shore of IWO JIMA on D-minus-2 and D-minus-1.”  Corporal Holland reported to UDT #15 aboard the fast transport USS Blessman and accompanied the Navy “frogmen” to their destination. As the swimmers scouted Iwo’s landing beaches under heavy fire, the Marine observers stayed aboard landing craft, taking careful notes and observations. The nerve-wracking, dangerous work resulted in many close calls and one fatality, and by the close of D-minus-1, all hands were glad to be done with their mission.

“That evening the nervous tension that the men had stored up during the past few days was not noticed as most of them knew that the hardest part of their job was over,” recorded Robert Allan King. “The mess hall was filled with men eager to write home and inform their parents that they felt fortunate to be alive after the previous day’s work. At a few of the tables were men involved in various games of chance. Little did they realize that by staying in the game” they stood to lose not only their money but their lives as well.”

There was a loud report; the ship shook from stem to stern and all the lights went out. We realized we had been hit, so all of the officers grabbed their life belts and what medical supplies they could carry and ran topside.
While speeding at 22 knots, the BLESSMAN left a wake that could be seen for miles. A twin-engine Betty came in on our wake, swung to the left when he saw us, and then made a 180-degree turn coming back in our beam, dropping one bomb of the 500-pound variety. It went through the top port PR, several pieces of pipe, down through the overhead of the starboard mess hall, and exploded when it struck the deck of the same…. When we got topside, we saw that the starboard mess hall had been opened up just like a matchbox with a huge exploding firecracker. The midsection of the ship was engulfed in flame and the smell of burning flesh was everywhere.
Some of the men went through the troop compartments pulling injured men from their bunks and helping others to struggle to the fantail. It was a hectic race to see if the injured men could be cleared from the troop compartment before they were burned to death. In a short time, all the injured men had been brought from the troop compartment but there were still dead men in there that we were not able to get out until the next day.
Every bit of firefighting equipment had been mustered to fight the spreading fire, but none of it was found in workable condition, so all able hands were recruited for a bucket brigade. This kept the fire in check for a small time but it soon spread through the entire troop compartment.
About two hours later the GILMER, APD 11, came alongside with all its fire fighting equipment trained on us. It was only a short time until the flaming inferno was transformed into mountains of sultry smoke.
The afternoon of the 19th of February was the darkest time in the history of any demolition team as the remaining and able members of Team 15 buried 18 of the men that they had worked and trained with for the past year.

Chief Carpenter’s Mate Arthur D. Hettema (UDT 15) also described the recovery of the dead:

The next volunteer-request was to assist in getting all the dead out of the compartments. There were lots of gloves in one of the lockers so we passed them out. Then Ravanholt and I, with several other men who had volunteered, took blankets and ponchos and went into the troop compartments where the burned bodies lay in a foot of water. We rolled the bodies, one at a time, in blankets and dragged them out to the fantail.
Into the mess hall we went where 10 bodies were in a pile. They weren’t burned but their clothes had been blown off by the explosion as had their dog tags and shoes.
Each body was wrapped in a poncho with six-inch shells between their legs – all were tied together with sash cord. The Captain, solemnly, read the Burial Rites for each pair as they were slipped over the side of the ship. American flags had been fastened onto the top of the stretchers and the bodies slid out from under these flags each time the Rites were performed. No tears were held back. We all grieved deeply for our lost buddies.

Corporal Melvin Holland was one of those killed in the bombing. His remains, if recovered from the ship, were not identifiable; the Blessman reported him as missing in action.

Burial Information or Disposition

None, remains not recovered. Holland was officially declared dead as of 19 February 1946.

Next Of Kin Address

Address of parents, Sam & Hessie Holland.
The Hollands moved to California after Melvin’s enlistment; he never resided in the state.

Location Of Loss

Blessman was about eight miles off Mount Suribachi when hit.

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