Medals awarded -- 55 years later

By CAROLYN HOPKINS

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 29, 2001

PORT RICHEY -- On April 16, more than 55 years after he served in World War II, Jack Holmes got his medals.

He enlisted in the Army on Nov. 8, 1940, in Pittsburgh. He was 19.

"First," Holmes said, "I was sent to Fort Myer, Va., in the Third Horse Cavalry. Then in 1942, I went to Fort Benning, Ga., where the 10th Armoured Division was being formed."

His wife, Loretta, joined him at Camp Gordon, Ga., before he was sent to France in 1944 and into combat with "C" Company, 61st Armoured Infantry. He was discharged on Nov. 24, 1945, at Indian Town Gap, Pa.

"I took the train to Pittsburgh, where I was reunited with my wife, Loretta, and 1-year-old son, John, whom I had never seen. He was born while I was in combat," Holmes said.

Holmes, now 80, worked for 32 years for a utility company in Pittsburgh. He retired in 1979 after suffering a massive heart attack in 1978. He and his wife then moved to St. Petersburg and last year moved to a smaller home in Port Richey.

Holmes said he hadn't thought much about the medals he should have received until he attended a reunion of the 10th Armoured Division around Labor Day 15 years ago. He learned that many of his comrades had gotten their medals 10 years before. A large fire in St. Louis, where the records were kept, destroyed many documents, delaying presentation of the awards.

"I started looking into the possibility of getting my medals at least 10 years ago and contacted Sen. Bob Graham and Rep. Bill Young," Holmes said. "But it wasn't until Rep. Karen Thurman checked into it later and got it rolling for me that we got results," Holmes said. He is most proud of his infantry badge and Gold Star.

Holmes said he had been an avid golfer but doesn't play now because of a back problem. He follows sports on television and especially enjoys watching golf. His favorite football team? The Steelers. Son John lives in Pittsburgh; another son, Thomas, lives in Atlanta. Daughter Karen Barnes and her husband, Anthony, live in Ocala. The Holmeses have seven grandchildren.

Both Jack and Loretta Holmes are members of St. James the Apostle Catholic Church and the Embassy Hills Civic Association. They celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary Oct. 14.

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