LTC Daniel E. Holland grew up as an Army brat and when his father retired from the artillery corps, they became farmers. Daniel went to OSU, completed ROTC, and became a veterinarian. Veterinarians work with military animals (working dogs, marine mammals, etc.) and also perform health and safety inspections (food, water quality, sanitation etc.).

LTC Holland went to Iraq as part of a Civil Affairs Group that served the 4th Infantry Division. He was the Chief of Public Health. His Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and Master’s of Public Health uniquely qualified him to ensure that the Iraqis he served were getting improved services. He inspected and recommended actions to get Iraqis clean water and sanitary living conditions, making sure that hospitals have medicine and working incubators, etc. Of course, he also made sure that the animals that sustained the Iraqis were healthy.

On May 18th, 2006, LTC Holland, First LT Robert A. Seidel III, SGT Lonnie C. Allen Jr., PFC Nicholas R. Cournoyer, and an Iraqi interpreter were killed by a roadside IED (bomb) near Baghdad while on a humanitarian mission to aid the people of Iraq. Daniel is survived by his wife, Sheryl; one son, Garrett; and one daughter, Rachel of Boerne, TX. On May 31st, the Patriot Guard Riders (from Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and elsewhere) escorted the Holland family to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. After a two-hour funeral service, they escorted Holland’s body to Fort Sam Houston in a light rain. LTC Daniel Holland was buried with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.​