Navy Federal Credit Union

Holland Hope graduated from McMurray University in Abilene, Texas, in 1940, and was ordained as a United Methodist minister. He joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and served with the Americal Division in the Philippine Islands during the Cebu Campaign. In 1947 he joined the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team in Japan, deploying with the regiment to South Korea after the outbreak of war in 1950. In October 1950, he joined the 187th in the first combat jump at Such’on, North Korea, an mission to rescue American prisoners of war. He suffered a fractured vertebra from the jump, but ignored his pain for two weeks to stay in the line with his men, earning a Silver Star before he had to be evacuated. He also received the distinction of being one of the rare chaplains in history to be awarded the Combat InfantrymanÕs Badge. After recovery, he returned to Korea for a second tour of duty with the 40th Infantry Division and 7th Infantry Division. During the Vietnam War he served two tours of combat duty with II Field Force, and as Regimental Chaplain of the 503d Airborne Infantry. He qualified with Special Forces and served as Senior Chaplain with the 77th and 10th Special Forces in Bad Tolz, Germany. After retiring from the military, he pastored a small Methodist church near Fort Bliss, Texas.

Awards Received

  • Silver Star

    Service:

    United States Army

    Rank:

    Captain (Chaplain’s Corps)

    Batallion:

    3d Battalion

    Regiment:

    187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team

    Division:

    11th Airborne Division

    Action Date:

    October 20 – 23, 1950

    Headquarters, EIGHTH U.S. Army, Korea, General Orders No. 3 (January 2, 1951)

    The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Captain (Chaplain’s Corps) Holland Hope, United States Army, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving as a Chaplain with Company I, 3d Battalion, 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, in action against the enemy in Korea, from 20 to 23 October 1950. Chaplain Hope, although suffering from a severe back injury incurred in a combat parachute jump three days before, voluntarily went with a company of the 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment on a combat patrol from Sunchon, North Korea to Sinpo, North Korea. The purpose of the patrol was to recover the wounded and retrieve the dead of an ambush of another company of the regiment on 21 October 1950. The area where the other company was ambushed had not been cleared and was known to still be defended by North Koreans. Arriving at Opa-ri, North Korea the combat patrol was engaged in a fire fight in which approximately ten enemy were killed and forty captured. During the fire fight an interpreter learned that a wounded American soldier was hiding in a stack of rice in an open field. At a time when the enemy fire was the heaviest, Chaplain Hope, with utter disregard for his own safety, moved form a covered position through open terrain and across the field where the wounded soldier was hiding. In assisting and comforting the wounded man, Chaplain Hope was completely exposed to enemy small arms fire. The selfless and courageous conduct of Chaplain Hope was performed while in great pain from a broken back of such compelling consequences that he has since been evacuated to the United States. The gallantry of Chaplain Hope reflects great credit on himself and the military serviced.