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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USN USS Enterprise (CV-6) VF-20  USN circa 1943 |
Pilot Ensign Howard A. Holding, 0-305686 (MIA / KIA, BR) Salt Lake City, UT Crashed September 6, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Grumman as model G-50 in Bethpage, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as F6F-5 Hellcat Bureau Number 58713. Wartime History Assigned Fighting Squadron 20 (VF-20) aboard to USS Enterprise (CV-6). No known nickname, nose art or markings. Mission History On September 6, 1944 launched from USS Enterprise (CV-6) piloted by Ensign Howard A. Holding on a mission over Yap. At the start of a strafing run, this Hellcat suffered a mid-air collision with F6F Hellcat 58675 piloted by Ensign Joseph E. Cox. Neither pilot was able to bail out and both crashed on Yap. When this plane failed to return listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Also lost was F6F Hellcat 58471 pilot Lt(jg) Harry D. Brown (MIA). Memorials Holding was officially declared dead on February 6, 1946. He earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Holding is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. After he was identified in 2025, a rosette was added next to his name. He also has a memorial marker at Memory Grove Memorial in Salt Lake City, UT. Holding also has another memorial marker at Salt Lake City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, UT at West 4-78-5W. On July 27, 2010 a memorial marker dedication ceremony to the three Hellcat pilots lost on September 6, 1944: Holding, Cox and Brown was held at Colonia on Yap. The dedicated was attended by Yap Governor Honorable Sebastian L. Anefal, U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, Peter A. Prahar, Pat Ranfranz of Missing Air Crew and Mark Noah of History Flight. Recovery of Remains On June 10, 2025 Holding was accounted-for by the Department of Defense (DoD). Family notification and memorial services are pending. References NARA U.S. Navy Personnel File - Howard Allen Holding [PDF] Navy Serial Number Search Results - F6F-5 Hellcat 58713 USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List September 1944 - F6F-5 Hellcat 58713 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Howard A. Holding FindAGrave - Ens Howard Allen Holding (photos, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - ENS Howard Allen Holding (memorial marker Memory Grove Memorial photo) FindAGrave - ENS Howard Allen Holding (photos, memorial marker Salt Lake City Cemetery photo) MissingAirCrew - Yap Island Mission Loss—6 September 1944 MissingAirCrew - ENS. HOWARD ALLEN HOLDING - SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1944 [PDF] MissingAirCrew - Ens. Howard Allen Holding [PDF] DPAA Press Release "Sailor Accounted For From World War II (Holding, H.) Defense POWMIA Accounting Agency ID Announcements" July 29, 2025 Thanks to Pat Ranfranz of Missing Air Crew for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated July 30, 2025 |
 F6F  MIA 1 Missing |
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