A paramedic with the Houston Hearth Division wanting to study extra about his late grandfather’s army service had a stroke of luck after he started his analysis.
Mark Holmes of Pearland, Texas, advised Fox Information Digital {that a} easy Google search not solely taught him about his paternal grandfather, William Watson Holmes, and his service to America, however it led him to a bodily piece of historical past.
William Watson Holmes served as a Marine throughout World Struggle II and was a Purple Coronary heart recipient.
VIETNAM VETERAN AND ENTREPRENEUR IS CANDID ABOUT PTSD BATTLE AND ACHIEVING THE AMERICAN DREAM
“I had at all times sort of puzzled what my grandpa did within the conflict. I talked to my dad about it a couple of instances, and my dad, all he knew was one of many islands he went to, was referred to as Roi-Namur within the Marshall Islands. Past that, I did not know something apart from he received a Purple Coronary heart,” Mark Holmes mentioned, including that when he was 3 months previous, his grandfather died.
Mark Holmes, a Texas resident, was 3 months previous when his grandfather, World Struggle II veteran William Watson Holmes, died. (Mark Holmes)
As luck would have it, Mark Holmes got here throughout a collector’s web site, U.S. Militaria Discussion board. He signed up and shared his grandfather’s story on the web page to attach with different customers, and it appeared one collector had an attention-grabbing discovery to supply.
The collector, Austin Wideman, spent years accumulating World Struggle II memorabilia, having near 40 named items in his Marine assortment.
MARINE VETERAN AMPUTEE FORMS ROCK BAND TO PERFORM FOR PATRIOTS AROUND AMERICA
Mark Holmes, a Texas resident, positioned his grandfather’s army jacket on a collector’s web site. ( U.S. Militaria Discussion board)
Wideman posted photographs of William Watson Holmes’ uniform jacket after buying the coat from a vendor in Gloucester, Virginia.
103-YEAR-OLD WWII VETERAN CELEBRATES LIFELONG LOVE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY: ‘STILL HAS AN EYE FOR A SHARP PICTURE’
The tattered inexperienced jacket dons a “UNIS” mark on the again studying “322.”
Mark Holmes (left) stands beside Austin Wideman (proper) displaying William Holmes’ army jacket. (Austin Wideman)
“UNIS marked objects are my foremost focus with Marines. Marines would put these numbers on tools so different Marines may inform which unit they have been part of. The quantity 322 tells me that William Holmes was [part] of Firm E, 2nd Battalion, twenty third Marine Division. By realizing that I used to be in a position to positively determine the uniform to William [Watson Holmes],” Wideman advised Fox Information Digital through e mail.
Mark Holmes and Wideman started conversing on-line, and the 2 males ultimately met up in particular person.
VETERANS HIKE 100 MILES FROM MAINE TO MASSACHUSETTS TO RAISE PTSD AWARENESS: ‘CHANGED MY LIFE’
“William was wounded when a Japanese land mine blew up riddling him with shrapnel within the again. This is the reason the jacket has burn holes all all through the again. William Holmes was taken again to [the] states the place he underwent emergency surgical procedure on his backbone to take away the shrapnel,” Wideman mentioned.
William Watson Holmes served in World Struggle II as a Marine with Firm E. Seen right here is Holmes’ Marine identification card and the jacket he wore throughout fight. (Austin Wideman)
By likelihood, the hospital the place William Watson Holmes was despatched in Lee Corridor, Virginia, was half-hour from the place Wideman bought the uniform.
Mark Holmes and his father, Randall Holmes, son of William Watson Holmes, flew to Missouri to fulfill up with Wideman to see the historic household piece himself.
VETERAN AND MILITARY NONPROFITS THAT HELP AMERICA’S HEROES ARE FOCUS OF ‘ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME’ ADVENTURE
Mark Holmes tried on his grandfather’s jacket, which match him properly.
Mark Holmes of Texas was shocked to search out that his grandfather’s army jacket match him. (Austin Wideman)
Wideman mentioned assembly Mark Holmes and his father, Randall Holmes, was a real honor.
“Watching Randall [Holmes] contact the jacket his dad was wounded in was extraordinarily rewarding for me as a collector. We spoke in regards to the jacket for hours and actually loved one another’s firm. I’m already trying ahead to seeing them once more,” Wideman mentioned.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
Randall Holmes of Texas additionally joined the go to to Missouri to see his personal father’s army jacket. (Austin Wideman)
Wideman shared the historical past of the jacket with the Holmes household whereas they revealed private tales of what it was like rising up with the veteran and listening to his tales in regards to the conflict.
For extra Way of life articles, go to www.foxnews.com/life-style.
The Holmes household donated extra wartime items to Wideman so he may add them to his assortment.
The Holmes household donated extra items to associate with the jacket to Wideman’s assortment. (Austin Wideman)
In return, Wideman had a reproduction of William Watson Holmes’ jacket made for the household.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“My aim has at all times been to share historical past and to maintain these tales alive. If something have been to occur, every thing together with the jacket will return to household,” Wideman aspect.
