In February 1979 John joined Stacey who was serving with the 980th MP Company
at Sierra Army Depot near Susanville, CA where both maintained Top Secret security clearances. For the
remainder of their service period they assisted in the monitoring of activities surrounding a high security area that held
munitions and war reserve materials vital to the safety of the United States. The 980th MP Company was responsible to patrol
fence lines, operate an elaborate security system, and report vehicle or aircraft activity near several secured locations
in a remote high desert area of Northern California. Members of the 980th were part of a quick-reaction
security force that was ready to respond to threats 24 hours a day. During her service time at Sierra
Army Depot Stacey earned an Army Accommodation Medal for her efforts in preparing for and coordinating heightened security
readiness scenarios.
John and Stacey were
married in September 1979 and concluded their military service in June 1984 after serving out their inactive reserve time
with the United States Army. John Holley and Stacey Holley are the authors of Medals, Flags and Memories.
According to the book description of Medals, Flags and Memories, “On
November 15, 2005, John and Stacey Holley unwillingly became Gold Star Parents. Their son and only child, Matthew John Holley,
was killed along with three other Soldiers when an IED exploded under their Humvee while on patrol in Iraq. Racked with grief
over their son’s death, John and Stacey’s sorrow turned to outrage when they learned that Matthew’s casket
would return to San Diego’s Lindbergh Field as common freight. There would be no honor guard to welcome this fallen
hero back to the nation of his birth. Instead, Matthew Holley’s remains would be transferred by forklifts and baggage
handlers, like a crate of auto parts. Determined to welcome their son home with honors befitting his sacrifice, the Holleys
embarked on a quest to challenge the law, and to begin a journey of healing that would touch the lives of Gold Star Families
across the country”
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