Thursday, July 07, 2011

Remembering Lt. Holton

Last year I bought a 101st Airborne Division flag and an official Alpha Company guidon to display at the annual namvets reunion in Kokomo Indiana. Recently I got to thinking about how I could put those items to good use more than once a year. I don't really know how the idea came to me but I decided I would display the flag and guidon for twentyfour hours on the dates that Alpha Company vets gave thier all in Vietnam. In trying to keep with flag etiquette for this sort of thing I attached a black ribbon to the top of the pole. My personal tribute starts today, July 7th 2011 by honoring 1st. Lt. John Thomas Holton Jr. KIA July 7th 1968 in Thua Thien province.
After all these years Lt. Holton has become the focal point of a book written by Jean Neidert that was inspired by the journals, letters and poems of Phil Woodall who was Holton's RTO in the summer of '68. The book is titled "RESURGAM" - Standing On The Ground Of Remembrance. If you would like to learn more about the book please visit  http://www.groundofremembrance.com/