U.S. Army veterinarian killed in action: Lt. Col. Holland the first Veterinary Corps casualty of Iraqi Freedom

摘要

Marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and civilians gathered May 24 at Camp Liberty in Baghdad for a memorial service honoring Lt. Col. Daniel E. Holland. The U.S. Army veterinarian, along with three other soldiers and a civilian interpreter, died May 18 of injuries sustained that day when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee during combat operations in Baghdad. Lieutenant Colonel Holland, 43, was serving on a Civil Affairs humanitarian mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom while assigned to the 352nd Civil Affairs Command, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C. He is the only member of the Veterinary Corps to die in a combat setting in recent years. Stateside, volunteer personnel with the Department of Defense Veterinary ServiceActivity and Veterinary Command soldiers provided an honor guard at Lt. Col. Holland's services May 30-31 in New Braunfels, Texas. Interment was at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.