Gurke (DD 783) - Naval Cruise Book

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p' ,f iff . , 'a R11 , P flaw COMMANDER JOE L. HOLLAND, USN

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N Y fl' :H ru Y ' 4 .4v+ f iff l PRIVATE FIRST CLASS HENRY GURKE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS QDECEASEDQ Born in Neche, North Dakota, on 6 November 1922 Private First Class Gurke attended the local schools and enlisted in the Marine Corps on 15 April 1942. Joining the Second Pack Howitzer Battalion of the Twenty-Second Marines, he shipped overseas on 30 July and landed at Apia, Upolu, British Samoa one month later. In September he was transferred to D Com- pany ofthe Third Raider Battalion, and in February of 1943 ac- companied his unit tothe Russell lslands, returning to Espiritu Santos in March 1943. When he was transferred to M Com- pany, Third Radier Battalion Second Raider Regiment of the First Marine Amphibious Corps in June, Private First Class Gurke came face to face with the enemy in November at Bougainville. On 9 November 1943, he sacrificed his life in order that the BAR man by his side could continue to provide effective resistance to the enemy. For this action he was Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The Citation was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and presented to his parents at ceremonies in the Navy Department on 31 May 1944. 'bi YW! V

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V THE y ,, COMMANDIN t oFF1cER Commander Joe L. Holland was born in Russellville, Arkansas. He attended Abilene High School and Abilene Christian College, graduating from the latter in 1957. He was commissioned an Ensign, USNR, through the ROC Program in June 1957. Commander Holland has prior destroyer experience in USS SOUTHERLAND QDDR-7433 as Operations Officer, USS W!Ll-IOITE QDEB-3975 and USS JAMES C. OWENS QDD-776i as Executive Officer, and Staff Commander Destroyer ELEVEN as Chief Staff Officer. Other duties have included of- ficer in Charge, Harbor Defense Unit, Lewes, Delaware, one year at the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, receiving a letter of Completion in Engineering Science, and three years in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations lFleet Operations and Readinessi, Washington, D.C. Commander Holland reported to GURKE from the U. S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, where he received the Bronze Star with Combat V and the Joint Services Commendation Medal while serving as an Assistant Inspector General in the Office of the inspector General. Commander Holland wears the following: Bronze Star with Combat Joint Service Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Ex- peditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal Q4 starsj, the Viet- nam Campaign Medal 11960-J, and the Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civic Action Medal. Commander Holland is married to the former Miss Mary Roberta Long of Newport Beach, California, and has one son, Christopher Robert, age six. They reside on the Naval Base, Yokosuka, Japan.