In honor of Memorial Day, we'll be sharing stories from some of the brave soldiers who have served our country. This weekend is a time to remember those who have fought and fallen for our freedoms. We are forever grateful.
Specialist Holly McGeogh was tenacious, fearless and relentless when she knew what she wanted. Her mother, Paula, recalls one Christmas morning when Holly was 12 and her brother, Rob, was 9. “I told them that they couldn’t wake me up to open presents until 6 a.m.” So, Holly woke up at 2 a.m. and went through the house adjusting all the clocks forward by four hours. She had presents to open.
When Holly set her mind on a goal, she worked tirelessly to achieve it. When she decided to pursue enlisting in the Army, it was difficult for her, but she wasn’t discouraged. Her mom was rather opposed to the idea since Holly was only 17 at the time, but Holly needed her mom’s permission. Growing up, Paula always told her daughter, “I don’t care what you do but give it your all.” So, when Holly reminded her mom of these words, and told her of the role they played in the decision to enlist, Paula saw no choice but to accept and support her choice.
Another challenge Holly faced was a diagnosis of amblyopia in one of her eyes. Getting the Army doctors to sign off that she was fit for duty was an arduous process. After seeing multiple specialists, she was finally approved to enlist. Initially, the jobs that she would be allowed to do were limited, but Holly’s plan was to show her worth — and she was confident that her work ethic would open doors into Army Intelligence or Psy-Ops which may have otherwise stayed closed.
One of the primary rules most military personnel will tell you is: “Never volunteer. Wait until you’re volun-told.” This wasn’t Holly. She volunteered for so many missions that she once told her mom, “I have too many dads over here in Iraq. Everyone is telling me to stop going out on patrols.”
Holly volunteered to go out on the fateful day of January 31, 2004. The Humvee she was riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device. Holly, Corporal Juan Banuelos and Sergeant Eliu Miersandoval were killed in the attack. Holly was 19 years old.
Paula says that her heart breaks for all the kids out there who had a parent die in Iraq or Afghanistan, but she really wishes that Holly had a child. She wants some of her daughter to live on. Paula is still in contact with members of Holly’s former platoon. She gets text messages from them every year on January 31.
Holly was a daughter, a sister and a friend. She is the only female from Michigan who was killed in action in Operation Iraqi Freedom and there is a memorial in her honor in Taylor, Michigan. Specialist Holly McGeogh – we thank you.
