With Veterans Day approaching, two individuals, John and Bob, have a profound reason to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who serve in the U.S. military. Their thoughts turn to specific service members who hold a special place in their hearts—John’s son, Robert, and Bob’s father, Karl.
John’s son, Robert, is forever remembered as a Marine lieutenant who, tragically, will never grow older than 29. Bob’s father, Karl, remains a striking presence in cherished family photographs, a dashing 26-year-old Army captain who lost his life while serving his country.
Both John and Bob share a deep sense of patriotism and an unwavering belief that the American people should never forget the ultimate sacrifice made by members of the U.S. military. However, they are deeply disappointed by a government decision they perceive as insensitive.
Their concern revolves around the government’s abandonment of a longstanding pledge made to Gold Star families after World War II. This commitment was to ensure that families could conveniently remember their 234,000 loved ones who are interred or commemorated in 26 military cemeteries and memorials across more than a dozen foreign countries.
For decades, from the post-World War II era until 2015, families had the opportunity to mail a check to a government office in Washington, D.C., to purchase flowers that would be placed at the graves of veterans. Bob Holliday’s father, Karl, a young farm kid from Wayne County, lost his life to German gunfire in April 1945, towards the end of the European conflict. Bob, a mere 19 months old at the time, holds no memories of his father, as there was no grave to visit in Iowa. Karl Holliday was interred with 8,000 other servicemen at the American cemetery outside Margraten, Netherlands.
Now, at 80 years old, Bob Holliday is steadfast in his efforts to convince the federal government to revive the discontinued floral program. He has rallied individuals from across the nation who, like him, lost a parent in World War II. Together, they have garnered support from retired military leaders, including retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, who served as the secretary of Homeland Security and White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump. General Kelly, who shares a special bond with Gold Star families, as his own son, 1st Lt. Robert Kelly, was tragically lost in Afghanistan in 2010.
Karl Holliday’s body could not be repatriated to the United States for burial near the family farm in Promise City, a fate which sharply contrasts with the repatriation of Robert Kelly’s remains to Arlington National Cemetery.
In the aftermath of his son’s death, General Kelly noted that “Gold Star families are special, to say the least. They don’t ask for much.” However, despite a federal budget totaling $6 trillion, the government deemed it too expensive and inconvenient to manage flower purchases for the resting places of American veterans overseas.
For 40 years, Bob Holliday purchased flowers three times a year through the program to adorn his father’s grave, but this came to an end when officials at the American Battle Monuments Commission decided to discontinue the program, citing its perceived burdensome nature and lack of infrastructure to accept credit card payments.
This decision has left Bob Holliday, a recently retired West Des Moines lawyer, deeply disheartened, much like General Kelly, who echoes these sentiments with conviction.
In a recent column, General Kelly emphasized that Gold Star families deserve continued support in their floral tributes, calling it both efficient and the right thing to do. He stated, “It’s their job.”
The legacy of those who fill our overseas cemeteries with their heroic deeds should not be dimmed by time. Yet, the willingness of government officials to bear a slight inconvenience to facilitate the delivery of flowers from the families of the fallen beneath those white grave markers appears to have waned.
