MSG James Holt Comes Home After 48 Years (Your thoughts?)

Sgt. James Holt Remains Identified After 47 Years MIssing


Army Sgt. 1st Class James W. Holt, 26, of Hot Springs, Ark., was lost Feb. 7, 1968, in Vietnam. His remains were recently identified and will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery at a to be announced date.

The Texarkana Area Chapter # 278 of the Vietnam Veterans of America will be hosting a Memorial Service for James William Holt on Saturday, February 7, 47 years after he went missing. The service location and time will be announced at a later date.

They are requesting that anyone who has a bracelet bearing Holt’s name either get with a VVA # 278 member or be present at this service to present these bracelets to the family as is typically done in these returned cases. James William Holt is an “Honorary Life Member” of VVA # 278!

Holt was assigned to Company C, 5th Special Forces Group.

Account from POWnetwork.org of the night Holt went missing

Shortly after midnight on February 7, 1968, a combined NVA infantry-tank assault drove into Lang Vei. Two PT-76 tanks threatened the outer perimeter of the camp as infantry rushed behind them. SFC James W. Holt destroyed both tanks with shots from his 106mm recoilless rifle. More tanks came around the burning hulks of the first two tanks and began to roll over the 104th CIDG Company’s defensive positions. SSgt. Peter Tiroch, the assistant intelligence sergeant, ran over to Holt’s position and helped load the weapon. Holt quickly lined up a third tank in his sights and destroyed it with a direct hit. After a second shot at the tank, Holt and Tiroch left the weapons pit just before it was demolished by return cannon fire. Tiroch watched Holt run over to the ammunition bunker to look for some hand-held Light Anti-tank Weapons (LAWs). It was the last time Holt was ever seen.