First Seymour Johnson AFB public information officer dies
By From staff reports
Published in News on May 29, 2011 1:50 AM
Lt. Col. Gerald M. Holland, 82, died last week in Springfield, Va.
Holland was the first assigned public information officer during the reactivation of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
He was reassigned from Saudi Arabia and arrived at Seymour Johnson as a first lieutenant in November 1956.
As the base was rebuilt, Holland did the research of Air Corps Aces and Heroes and selected the names of the streets at the base. He also helped to originate the base newspaper which was named the Seymour Scope.
Much of the current positive community relations for which Seymour is known worldwide was cultivated under Holland's tour, which lasted until 1962.
He subsequently served at Tactical Air Command Headquarters, Langley Air Force Base, Va., Clark Field, Philippines, during the Vietnam War and later returned to serve at Air Force Headquarters at the Pentagon, from which he retired.
He is survived by his three children, Scott, Stacey and Greg, who were born in Wayne County.