Bill Holic Jr.: Riding the waves

By Marilyn Lucas, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interview Volunteer

Guantánamo Bay, Cuba/Bermuda/ Pearl Harbor/San Diego/Norfolk/ Vietnam 

Fortunately, Bill Holic, Jr., liked to travel and travel he did. Thirty years in the Navy certainly gives him the title of “lifer”. 

Growing up in Monaca, Pennsylvania, a small steel town of 361 people did not offer a great deal  of career opportunities. Not wanting to spend his life working in the steel mills, Bill decided to join the Navy after graduation from high school. His first station was in Orlando, Florida, in 1971 which happened to be the year Disney World opened — a nice respite for the Seaman recruits.

Bill went on to recruit training command (RTC) at Great Lakes, Illinois, also known as “Boot Camp”. The Navy’s plan was to send him to school to become an electronics technician. In Bill‘s own words “well that didn’t go so well”. He was sent on to the fleet in San Diego, California, where he was deployed on the USS Durham, an amphibian cargo ship. His six month deployment turned into three years on the USS Durham. The actual job of the ship was to transport Marines to battle in Vietnam. They had to stay 12 miles off the coast in order to avoid the howitzers that were being fired on the ship. 

In April 1975, the ship’s mission suddenly changed to a rescue mission. The ship was ordered to Phan Rang. All liberty was immediately canceled. During this time, President Ford ordered the evacuation of all American citizens and military from Vietnam. President Ford also ordered the evacuation of all orphans from Saigon. This operation was later coined as “the baby left”. More than 2500 orphans were rescued during this operation. The fall of Saigon had begun that month. Vietnamese refugees were attempting to escape via any means possible. 

The USS Durham was assigned to “Operation Frequent Wind”. Over 3000 refugees boarded the USS Durham in the month of April.  Bill’s ship was one of many naval vessels that transported over 50,000 refugees during this time. Refugees were transported to the Philippines and Okinawa. It is important to remember this was a cargo ship. Unfortunately, the refugees were placed in the cargo holes. Obviously, this was not an ideal or sanitary environment. Hundreds of men, women, and children were crammed into a very small space in the cargo holes leaving little or no room. Bill explained, while this was not the most comfortable transport, these people were very grateful to get out of Saigon. Most of the refugees were women and children. They were inspected for weapons and anything they carried was thrown overboard for safety reasons. Most of the refugees spoke English, but even their ability to communicate did not eliminate their fears. The ship made approximately three trips over a short period of time transporting these refugees to a safe island off the Philippines. 

 It is important to note that the area of Phan Rang was exposed to Agent Orange. For the purpose of VA compensation benefits, veterans who served anywhere in Vietnam between January 1962 and May 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides as specified in the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Unfortunately, Bill was considered one of those veterans possibly exposed to Agent Orange. He is 100% disabled from working on the steel decks which contributed to his back injuries. He currently uses Hines Hospital for his VA benefits and sings the praises of these fine people that assist the veterans.

While sailing the seas in Bermuda in 1991, one particular “wave” impacted Bill‘s life dramatically. He met his soon to be wife, Amy , a WAVE in the Navy, while deployed to Bermuda. At the time he was a Boatswain mate, assigned to transporting people with medical issues back to the hospital.  Amy also enjoyed the excitement of travel. Liberty in Egypt was one of their most memorable experiences. Bill said with a smile “join the Navy and ride the waves”. They are currently retired and live in River Grove, Illinois. They are both active in the local American Legion.

In 1999, Bill participated in anti-submarine warfare. The main mission was protecting carriers during the “Cold War”. The real message was to let the enemy know we were present and watching. The interesting part of this mission was the number of drug dealers that were moving cocaine. “Hilos” would find the “go fast”, a name for drug boats, and radio the task force. The Navy was not allowed to arrest any of the dealers but rather had to call the Coast Guard to make these arrests. He commented on the size of these bags of cocaine they were trying to move into our country and the number of boats they were able to prevent from entering the US.

Bill, like so many Vietnam veterans, did not wear his uniform while on Liberty in 1973. Unfortunately, he has stories to tell about his reception during those Vietnam years.  Rather than allowing the negative to be his focus, he chooses to remember the marvelous experiences he has had over 30 years in the service. He chose to stay in. He chose to serve his country. Now, his choice is to be proud! Bill retired from the Navy as an E9 Master Chief Petty Officer. He received a flag upon retirement from the Navy that had been flown over the White House. In honoring his father, he chose to place that flag in his dad’s casket. A true patriot.

Bill, thank you for your years of service to our country. Enjoy your day of honor as you experience Washington D.C. for the first time.