1. Donald Walter Holleder was an American college football star while attending the United States Military Academy and later assistant football coach for the United States Military Academy, who was later killed in the Vietnam War.
11 Facts About Don Holleder
1. 2.
Don Holleder attended high school at the Aquinas Institute in nearby Rochester.
3.
Don Holleder was heavily recruited by a number of top college football recruiters, including West Point's offensive coach Vince Lombardi.
4.
Don Holleder elected to enroll at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
5.
Don Holleder clearly lacked the skills to be a productive passer, but Blaik felt that his leadership skills were important and would help the struggling team improve.
6.
However, Don Holleder was not interested in a professional football career.
7.
On 17 October 1967, during Operation Shenandoah II, Major Don Holleder was serving as Brigade Operations Officer while accompanying his Brigade Commander in the aerial supervision of ground elements.
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Don Holleder refused to take seek cover from the deadly volleys of insurgent sniper fire and continued to assess the enemy situation until he was mortally wounded by the heavy ground fire.
9.
Don Holleder was quick to grasp the implications of new problems with which he was faced as a result of the ever changing situations inherent in a counterinsurgency operation and to find ways and means to solve those problems.
10.
Don Holleder had a wife, Caroline, and four daughters, Stacy, Katherine, Susan, and Caroline.
11.
Don Holleder was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on April 27,2012.