Colonel William Hamilton Holland, Usaf (Ret)

Col. William Hamilton "Ham" Holland, 74, entered into rest on Thursday, November 4, 2010.

Visitation will be Sunday, November 7, 2010 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at McCullough Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 8, 2010 in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Andersonville National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests memorial donations to the Museum of Aviation Foundation, P.O. Box 2469, Warner Robins GA 31088.

Ham was born on November 18, 1935 in Macon, the son of William Hamilton Holland and Allyne Daniel Holland. At the age of thirteen months, Ham's father died and he, his mother and grandmother relocated to Burke County, Georgia, and then moved to Augusta in 1942. After graduating from Richmond Academy in June 1953, he attended the University of Georgia, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois.

In June 1956, he entered the Air Force, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant a year after enrolling in the Navigation Aviation Cadet Program and was awarded Navigator's wings. Ham was accepted into pilot training and began his military career as an Air Force Pilot. He was one of the few officers who was dual-rated, as a Navigator and then Pilot. He flew C-130, C-7, C-141 and C-5. His career spanned thirty-two years, including overseas assignments in Germany, two tours to Vietnam, the United Kingdom and France.

His military medals and decorations include: the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with two devices, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two devices, Air Force Overseas short tour and long tour ribbons, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and Republic Campaign Medal.

Upon retirement in 1986, Ham moved to Washington DC and worked for National Security Analysts, Inc., as manager of reserve studies. In 1991, he returned to Robins and was employed by Mercer University at the Mercer Engineering Research Center. There he managed studies and analysis work for the Air Force Reserve. After retiring again in 1997, Ham enjoyed playing golf, fishing, spending time at Lake Sinclair and traveling the world with Virginia.

His memory will forever be treasured by his loving wife, Virginia Grace Lingelbach; children, Barry Holland (Tammy); Joanne Wingard (Jeff), Laura Holland and Bill Holland; step-children, Kim Sanders (Hunt), Karla Daniels (Randy), Joe Mullendore (Karen) and Leigh Lumpkin (Chris); grandchildren, Andy Holland (Jenna), Jamie Holland, Patrick Wingard and Claire Wingard; great-grandson, Barry Brian; and Virginia's grandchildren, Virginia and Sara Sanders, Tyler Bramlett, Hailey Tidwell, Morgan and Riley Lumpkin and Ashton Mullendore. He was preceded in death by the Mother of his children, Mary Lou Super Holland.



Funeral Home:
McCullough Funeral Home
417 S. Houston Lake Rd.
Warner Robins, GA
US 31088