John Copeland Holmes was born on February 6, 1925, in Indianapolis, Indiana, who served during World War II in the China-Burma-India theater.
When Holmes received his draft notice, he chose to join the Army Air Corps. He completed basic training in Miami Beach, Florida, and was later assigned to the 11th Combat Cargo Unit, which transported cargo from India to China, behind Japanese enemy lines.
Holmes ensured that his unit’s planes were ready for each mission. “We had flights every day,” he said in an interview with the Library of Congress (LOC). Holmes’ dedication and service earned him three Bronze Star Medals and a Distinguished Flying Cross. “I consider myself lucky to be back,” he said.
Following his discharge in 1945, Holmes completed a degree in economics and accounting. He married Sara Jane “Sally” Lowden Holmes. He soon became owner and president of Associated Service Corporation and held several positions in different organizations, including President of the Indiana Oil Marketers Association, Treasurer of the Broad Ripple American Legion Post, and was a member of the Meridian Street United Methodist Church, the Murat Shrine, the Mystic Tie Masonic Lodge No. 398, and the Indianapolis Valley of Scottish Rite.
Holmes died on August 25, 2016. He was 91. According to Flinn and Maguire Funeral Home, he was succeeded by his two daughters, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren after 65 years of marriage.
We honor his service.
Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.
Veterans History Project
This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Visit the Library of Congress website to learn more.
A portion of this story was generated by AI. None of the data we reported included personal or sensitive information, and it was fact-checked and edited by a human copy editor prior to publishing.
Editor: Amanda Watkins
Graphic Designer: Kiki Kelley
Topics in this story
Link Disclaimer
This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.
More Stories
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Jan Klebukowski, who served in the United States, United Kingdom and South Korea.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran James McDonald, who served as a Chief Metalsmith during his service.
This week's Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Douglas Macmillan, who served from 1986 to 2015.
I honor his service and commitment to our way of live in the U.S.A. God bless him and welcome him abord the friendship of life beyond the past.