WWII Vet's Home Destroyed By Fire
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ROANOKE (CBSDFW.COM) - A World War II veteran loses his home to fire, but he's refusing to let it ruin his Christmas.
The fire started Friday afternoon in Roanoke.
John Holland may have lost his home, but this is hardly the first time he's faced a struggle.
And this member of the Greatest Generation tells us he'll overcome this challenge, too.
By the time firefighters got to Holland's home, flames were coming out of every window.
Fortunately Holland had just gone next door to his son's home.
"I went over to his house to visit, and the first thing we know, somebody said the house is on fire, and there it is," Holland said.
Both of Holland's sons credit the family's Christmas celebration for drawing him out of his home just in time.
"I'm glad it was Christmas. He was over here eating with them, so it all worked out good," Jerry Holland said.
"Yeah, Christmas saved him," Brent Holland added.
But family members couldn't help regret the loss of precious World War II decorations.
"Two Purple Hearts. He got shot in the back, and then he got both legs shot too, and then he got a bronze star for bravery for going back through the enemy lines to get help," Jerry Holland said.
John Holland himself seemed unfazed by the loss of possessions.
"I was in World War II, but a piece of paper don't make no damn difference," he said.
That's why when we asked about his plans for what he'll do next, the answer was simple.
"Oh yeah, I'll build another house."
And as for the rest of his evening...
"We're going to have a Merry Christmas. You don't have anything else," John Holland said.
One silver lining here, the family lost some of Holland's World War II medals in a previous fire many years ago, and they have saved some replicas in his son's home.
If you'd like to help the family's efforts to rebuild John Holland's home, you can make a donation here.
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