On 15 August 2015, at 11am, a long-lost Purple Heart medal and other family heirlooms returned home to the family of a WWII hero.

PVT Alfred John Holland (SN: 14065584) was born on 17 November 1923 in Atlanta, GA to John Alfred and Annie Faith Holland. He had two younger brothers, both of whom went on to serve in the military. PVT Holland enlisted on 12 November 1941 at Fort McPherson, GA. He served honorably in WWII and received the Purple Heart for wounds received in battle. Available records do not identify the unit he served with or when and how he was wounded. He returned home and was discharged on 29 May 1945. He would later re-enlist in March of 1946 and spend an additional year in the military. Holland passed away on 12 January 1989.

In January of 2015, Purple Hearts Reunited was contacted by Justin Chad Davis, who is a contractor in the Atlanta, Georgia area. As he was clearing out an old home, he found a box of family heirlooms inside a shed at 824 Harold Avenue in Atlanta. The contents of the box contained birth and death certificates, family photos, an award for the “greatest father,” and PVT Holland’s Purple Heart medal. With the help of Dennis Taylor from the Historic Sylvester Cemetery in Atlanta, where PVT Holland is buried, Taylor was able to locate his family through cemetery records.

Receiving the medal was Holland’s youngest brother (80 years old), Leslie V. Holland of Dalton, GA, himself a veteran of the Army who spent 6 years stateside as an artilleryman. He was honored to receive his brother’s medal as he spent his life admiring his older brother. Alfred Holland had children, but unfortunately they have all passed.

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