Veterans
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Veterans

Civil War Memorial

Located on the north side of 16th street, Holland's Civil War Memorial was built by the Grand Army of the Republic and dedicated May 30th, 1902. The inscription reads: "Our Absent Dead Volunteered from Holland in defense of the Union and never returned. They lied buried in known and unknown graves in the south. 1861-1865.” Each side of the monument has the names of the men from Holland who served in the Civil War and the year they passed away. Side views are pictured below. Note that 1864-1865 is not pictured.

Willard G. Leenhouts

Willard G. Leehouts was the son of Dr. and Mrs. Abraham Leenhouts. He was killed July 3rd, 1918 in France at the age of 19. A high explosive landed in front of him while he was running to get rations for his buddies. His body was scheduled to be returned to the U.S., but remained in France. His family visited the site at Bellau Woods in 1930 where they did place a stone with his name and birth/death dates. This memorial was later placed by Post 6 in 1992.

Gerrit Van Schelven

Gerrit Van Schelven was a businessman, the printer and editor of the Holland City News and De Hope newspapers. He was also a local historian, chronicling Holland’s early history and was corresponding secretary of the Holland semi-centennial celebration in 1877. Van Schelven served in the 25th Michigan Infantry during the Civil War, enlisting at the age of 19. He passed away in 1927. To learn more about the 25th Michigan Infantry, click here.

 

Sgt. Gordon Yntema

Buried in his family plot, Sgt. Gordon Yntema is a Medal of Honor recipient (Vietnam).  His official Medal of Honor citation reads:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Yntema, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while assigned to Detachment A-431, Company D. As part of a larger force of civilian irregulars from Camp Cai Cai, he accompanied 2 platoons to a blocking position east of the village of Thong Binh, where they became heavily engaged in a small-arms fire fight with the Viet Cong. Assuming control of the force when the Vietnamese commander was seriously wounded, he advanced his troops to within 50 meters of the enemy bunkers. After a fierce 30-minute fire fight, the enemy forced Sgt. Yntema to withdraw his men to a trench in order to afford them protection and still perform their assigned blocking mission. Under cover of machine gun fire, approximately 1 company of Viet Cong maneuvered into a position which pinned down the friendly platoons from 3 sides. A dwindling ammunition supply, coupled with a Viet Cong mortar barrage which inflicted heavy losses on the exposed friendly troops, caused many of the irregulars to withdraw. Seriously wounded and ordered to withdraw himself, Sgt. Yntema refused to leave his fallen comrades. Under withering small arms and machinegun fire, he carried the wounded Vietnamese commander and a mortally wounded American Special Forces advisor to a small gully 50 meters away in order to shield them from the enemy fire. Sgt. Yntema then continued to repulse the attacking Viet Cong attempting to overrun his position until, out of ammunition and surrounded, he was offered the opportunity to surrender. Refusing, Sgt. Yntema stood his ground, using his rifle as a club to fight the approximately 15 Viet Cong attempting his capture. His resistance was so fierce that the Viet Cong were forced to shoot in order to overcome him. Sgt. Yntema's personal bravery in the face of insurmountable odds and supreme self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect the utmost credit upon himself, the 1st Special Forces, and the U.S. Army."

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