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WHEN THE BUGLE CALLS
HAVE FADED
AND THE HONOR GUARD HAS GONE,
ALL THAT'S LEFT ARE...
On November 15, 2005,
John and Stacey Holley unwillingly became Gold Star Parents. Their son
and only child, U.S. Army Specialist Matthew John Holley, was killed
along with three other Soldiers when an IED exploded under their Humvee
while on patrol in Iraq.
Racked with grief over their son’s death, John and Stacey’s sorrow
turned to outrage when they learned that Matthew’s casket would return
to San Diego’s Lindbergh Field as common freight. There would be no
honor guard to welcome this fallen hero back to the nation of his birth.
Instead, Matthew Holley’s remains would be transferred by forklifts and
baggage handlers, like a crate of auto parts.
Determined to welcome their son home with honors befitting his
sacrifice, the Holleys embarked on a quest to challenge the law, and to
begin a journey of healing that would touch the lives of Gold Star
Families across the country.
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