Birth date: Aug 8, 1938 Death date: Apr 18, 2026
Samuel Henry Holmes, age 87, passed away on April 18, 2026. He was born on August 8, 1938, to Arthur and Lillian Holmes, who preceded him in death. Samuel served his country with distinction in the United States Air Force from 19 Read Obituary
I echo the sentiments of my "Squadron" mate John Cary. Not only were we lucky enough to be checking out in the Air Force's newest jet, but we had the premier aviator leading us. As John said, we were slated to be the 2nd operational squadron, but in fact we ended up being the "First" Mission Ready F16 squadron due to Sam's leadership.
Sam was influential in my kids' childhood, as well as being our guide on many a trip to Lake Powell, where he taught them about the great outdoors. My son's first hunting experiences were all with Sam, from hunting birds to tracking deer, and left him with a lifetime of memories.
My wife, Suzie, and I stayed in touch with Sam over the years and were devastated by the news of his passing. Ironically, the very day we lost Sam, I was delivering a graduation speech to the newest F16 class, and I was telling them stories of the "early days" in the Viper and our Fearless Leader.
We will miss the Man, Warrior, and Friend who had such an impact on our lives, and we know we are better off for having known him.
Rest in Peace.
When the 2nd F-16 operational squadron was brought on line, Samwas the squadron commander. I was the 3rd man in the door. He was the BEST!! What an honor it was to work for him.
A Story About Sam Holmes by Mel Goode
I met Sam in March 1977 at Edwards Air Force Base. He was a new test pilot at the time for the F16 flight test program. He told me quickly he had not gone through test pilot school but was the “ops guy” due to all the various fighter aircraft he had flown. At the time, I was Pratt & Whitney’s flight test engineer at Edwards on the F16 program.
In 1979, Sam went to Hill Air Force Base where the F16 flew operational for the first time. Again, I was Pratt’s engineer at Hill AFB to help anyone (pilots, maintenance, etc.) who had questions on the engine. Sam and I became very close through ski trips on the weekends and occasional camping trips to local areas.
Fast forward to around 2014 or 2015. I was skiing at Snow Basin in Utah. There was a guy about 3 or 4 people in front of me in the line for the gondola. He had a gorgeous ski jacket with an Indian’s face and headdress on the back that was machine stitched about two feet in diameter. He sat across from me in the gondola. I complimented him on the jacket. He said he had gotten it in the Philippines when he was in the service. He was retired from the Navy and lived in Virginia Beach, VA and his last assignment was at Oceana. Having grown up in Hampton, I knew Oceana was a naval aviation base. I asked if he flew in the Navy and of course he said “Yes.” Then I said that one of my best friends was a USAF pilot that flew with the Navy in Vietnam. He then asks “Sam Holmes?” I said yes, Sam. How do you know him? His immediate response was “I was his squadron commander on the carrier. You can’t tell Sam but he was best stick (pilot) on the ship.” I gave him Sam’s email and he gave me his. In about two weeks, he had flown to Idaho to ski in the mountains of Idaho with Sam.
He also relayed how Sam’s first flight in his squadron was the next day after getting on board the carrier. There were eight A4’s with two bombs each. The weather was horrible – poor visibility, rain, wind, etc. The first five had not hit the target destroyer with either bomb. He said he was praying to God, please let number six hit something. Because if six misses and Sam (#7) hits anything, and I miss they would never hear the end of it. And of course, number six missed and Sam put both bombs on the destroyer. The squadron commander missed with both his bombs.
I am aware that the USAF wanted to get some pilots to fly with the Navy to learn differences in flight operations and exchange ideas. I have no idea how many USAF pilots flew with the Navy in Vietnam. But, I bet not many were called “the best stick on the ship” by their Navy squadron commander.
I am so glad that I got to spend a month in Alamo from late January to late February this year. I had another great visit with my friend and lots of memories to cherish. I will miss him so much along with his family and so many friends.
Mel Goode
