A Texas man has revealed how he stumbled on the uniform his late grandfather wore and was injured in during the Second World War.
Mark Ryan Holmes, a 40-year-old firefighter and paramedic with the Houston Fire Department, knows a thing or two about putting himself in harm's way for the greater good.
But until recently, Holmes knew little about what his late grandfather, William Watson Holmes, had done for the greater good during the Second World War. His grandpa was one of more than 16 million Americans who served during the conflict.
William had enlisted a few days shy of his 18th birthday, wasting little time in lending his support to the efforts and though he returned relatively unscathed, albeit for one significant injury, his grandson Mark never knew all that much about what he went through.
"My grandpa died of lung cancer at the age of 59. I was just 3 months old. We only have one photo of us together," Mark told Newsweek. "I've always felt a connection to him. He and my grandma owned a ranch. A huge part of my childhood was camping out there with my dad. As a kid, I felt close to my grandpa out there because I knew how much he loved it. Now my sons camp with me and my dad out there."
Despite that closeness, Mark didn't know all that much about his grandfather's experiences. Mark said: "I remember my dad telling me my grandpa went to Roi-Namur and that always stuck with me."
Located in the Marshall Islands, Roi-Namur was captured by U.S. forces during the Battle of Kwajalein in late January and early February of 1944, which represented a significant next step in the Allies' advance to Japan, though more difficult battles were still to come.
For years, Mark tried to find out more about what role his grandfather played. "I would Google 'William Watson Holmes Roi-Namur' but never found anything," he said. " I have always loved looking at places on Google Earth. Occasionally I'd look at Roi-Namur and think about what my grandpa may have done there."
One night he decided to search for his grandpa's name again. This time he was greeted with an image of a shirt labeled W.W. Holmes and a story about what he had done during the war. "I was floored," Mark said.
The posting, on the website U.S. Militaria Forum, detailed how William had, as part of "H Company" with the 23rd Marine Division, helped secure Roi-Namur in early February of 1944 before being attached to "E Company."
He was then part of the amphibious landing as part of the Battle of Saipan on June 15 of 1944. Around 3,100 U.S. troops were killed during the conflict in Saipan with 13,000 wounded but the account notes that "miraculously" William made it through the entire battle unscathed.
He would be less fortunate during his subsequent stint on the Island of Tinian though where, on the night of July 25, during a Japanese counterattack, he was wounded by a land mine explosion that would ultimately take him out of combat for the remainder of the war.
Looking at the pictures accompanying the account, Mark immediately spotted a large hole in the back of his grandfather's old uniform—one made by shrapnel from the land mine blast.
Seeking answers, Mark contacted the person behind the post, Austin Wideman. He replied soon after It turned out Wideman was an avid collector living in St. Louis, Missouri, who had been trying to find out more about William's family to no avail.
Wideman told Newsweek: "I bought this jacket from a man in Gloucester, Virginia. It was stored in a box in his basement for decades. There's no telling how long it's been there."
He was able to elaborate on William's experiences in the South Pacific and how the uniform ended up in his possession. "On the island of Tinian, he was peppered all throughout his back from a Japanese landmine explosion," he said. "He was sent to a Naval Hospital in Lee Hall, Virginia. Lee Hall is just 30 minutes from Gloucester. This jacket was more than likely tossed into a pile of shirts and other fatigues."
Eager to find out more, Mark decided to make a quick trip over to St. Louis to meet Wideman. He brought someone else along too.
"My brother who lives in St. Louis was on vacation in Europe with his wife . My parents were at his house watching my nephews. So I coordinated the trip so my dad would be there so he could see the shirt too," Mark said.
What followed was a unique opportunity for both son and grandson to feel that bit closer to the father and grandfather they lost all those years ago.
Mark shared footage of his dad, Randall, seeing the uniform for the first time while Mark actually got to wear his grandfather's uniform.
"It was incredible," he said. "Thinking what he must have been feeling being wounded and evacuated with the chaos of battle all around him and now the shirt he was wearing during all that was on me."
Bideman, who shares glimpses of his collection to Instagram under the @wwii_1944, gifted Mark a replica of his grandfather's shirt while Randall provided the collector with other paraphernalia from William's time in the service to add to his collection.
"My intentions with the jacket are good. I love sharing history and keeping it alive. The Marine on this jacket has a hell of a story," Bideman said, adding: "If anything were to happen this jacket and any other belongings that the family have given me will go right back to them."
Mark, for his part, is just happy that his grandfather's memory is able to live on through these fascinating pieces. "I am hugely grateful and honored for what Austin is doing to tell my grandpa's story."
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