James Francis Hollingsworth
Lieutenant General, U.S. Army

James Francis Hollingsworth was born on 24 March 1918 at the family farm near Sanger, TX, the son of James Newton and Mamie Ella Browning Hollingsworth. He was the first of four sons and all of them served in the U.S. armed forces in World War II.

In 1936, Hollingsworth entered the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. As a member of the Corps of Cadets, he served on the Corps staff and was captain of the second battalion infantry unit. His extra-curricular activities included the press club and serving as associate editor of the Longhorn yearbook. His participation in intramural sports included the football, basketball, and cross country track teams. In 1940, Hollingsworth graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Armor in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the Second Armored Division.

World War II

Hollingsworth served in a heavy armored division, the Second Armored Division ('Hell on Wheels'), under Major General George S. Patton. During World War II, Hollingsworth participated in seven major military campaigns extending from the invasion of North Africa in 1942, to the Occupation of Berlin. He commanded a regimental-size armored task force and was recognized by General Patton as one of the two best armored battalion commanders in WW II. He was wounded in combat five times. By the end of the war, the 26-year old Hollingsworth was a Lieutenant Colonel and had been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (the Army's 2nd highest award for valor), four Silver Star Medals (the Army's 3rd highest award for valor), and the Soldier's Medal.

Between Wars

He returned to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS, in 1952. In October 1958, Colonel Hollingsworth was Deputy Commander of Combat Command "A", First Armored Division, a separate brigade level unit at Fort Hood, TX.

Vietnam War Era

In his first Vietnam tour during 1966-67, Brigadier General Hollingsworth served as Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Infantry Division ('The Big Red One') in Vietnam. During that period, the Division took part in Operation Marauder, Operation Crimp II, and Operation Rolling Stone, all in the early part of the year. In June and July the Division took part in the battles of Ap Tau O, Srok Dong and Minh Thanh Road. In November 1966, the Division participated in Operation Attleboro and, for his actions from 5-8 November, Hollingsworth was awarded his second Distinguished Service Cross. In 1967, the Division participated in Operation Cedar Falls, Operation Junction City, Operation Manhattan, and Operation Shenandoah II. On 20 March 1967, while serving as Acting Commander of the Division, the artillery support base at Bau Bang came under an intense enemy mortar attack a few hours after midnight. Through Hollingsworth's boundless courage and tactical ingenuity, he was instrumental in the defeat of the Viet Cong regiment, in which over 250 insurgents were killed. For his extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, he was awarded his third Distinguished Service Cross.

Major General Hollingsworth was responsible for the activation of O Company (Arctic Ranger), 75th Infantry (Airborne), U.S. Army Alaska, at Fort Richardson, AK, on 4 August 1970. After his departure to Vietnam, MG Hollingsworth was to assume command of the very region where the original Company 0 had operated. Having lost their champion, Company 0 (Arctic Ranger) was slated for elimination in his absence, thus Company 0 (Arctic Ranger) was deactivated on 29 September 1972. The Arctic Rangers existed for just over two years, but during that time they forged an indelible mark on the diverse record of U.S. Army Ranger history.

Siege at An Loc

Third Regional Assistance Command (TRAC), the distilled remains of II Field Force and the former III Corps Advisory Group, was headquartered at Long Binh outside of Saigon. TRAC was commanded by Major General James F. Hollingsworth, who was serving his second tour in Vietnam. In 1966-67 Hollingsworth had served as Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Infantry Division, whose area of operations included Binh Long Province, so he was familiar with the territory. Hollingsworth had initially returned to Vietnam as Deputy Commander of the U.S. XXIV Corps. A few months later, he was on his way to Long Binh to command the last American advisors in III Corps. Hollingsworth was under pressure from his old World War II friend, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Commander General Creighton W. Abrams to continue the troop drawdown and not endanger American lives. Yet withdrawing advisors from the increasingly dangerous situation in An Loc would send a signal of diminished American support of the South Vietnamese and would certainly weaken their resolve. Hollingsworth chose to defend An Loc but did not order his advisors to remain in the surrounded city. He evacuated those deemed nonessential along with the senior American advisor to select his combat advisory team. Only a handful of Americans remained in the tactical operations center with General Hung and the 5th ARVN Division staff.

By 1972, the advisory system in Military Region (MR) III, and in the rest of South Vietnam, was primarily a skeleton team sprinkled throughout the top of the ARVN officer corps. In combat units, advisors now interacted with their ARVN counterparts only at corps, division, and regimental levels. In elite units, such as airborne, rangers, and marines, advisors were still used down to the battalion level.

At An Loc, the 5th ARVN Division had a U.S. Army senior advisor with a small staff under him. The senior advisor was responsible for “advising” his counterpart on troop movement and deployment, a particularly crucial job during the drawdown because ARVN forces were spread thinly over areas previously covered by both American and South Vietnamese troops. The advisors also gathered intelligence from units in the field and sent it back to TRAC headquarters for analysis. However, as far as the South Vietnamese were concerned, the senior advisor was most valuable in his role as air support provider. As a result, the senior advisor spent much of his time plotting air strikes and coordinating them with TRAC headquarters.

The first attack on the city of An Loc occurred on 13 April and was preceded by a powerful artillery barrage. The NVA captured several hills to the north and penetrated the northern portion of the city held by the 8th Regiment and 3rd Ranger Group. The second attack on the city took place on 15 April. Unable to take the city, the North Vietnamese Army kept it under constant artillery fire. They also moved in more anti-aircraft guns to prevent aerial resupply.

On 11 May 1972, the North Vietnamese Army launched a massive all-out infantry and armor (T-54 medium tanks) assault on the town. The attack was carried out by units of the 5th and 9th NVA divisions. This attack was repulsed by a combination of US airpower and the determined stand of ARVN soldiers on the ground. Almost every B-52 in Southeast Asia was called in to strike the massing enemy tanks and infantry. The commander of the defending forces had placed a grid around the town creating many "boxes" each measuring 1 km by 3 km in size which were given a number and could be called by ground forces at any time, the B-52 Arc Light cells (groups of 3 Aircraft) were guided onto these boxes by ground based radar. During 11 and 12 May, the US Air Force managed an "Arc Light" mission every 55 minutes for 30 hours straight, using 170 B-52's and smashing whole regiments of NVA in the process. Despite that air support, the North Vietnamese made gains, and were within a few hundred meters of the ARVN 5th Division command post. ARVN counter-attacks were able to stabilize the situation. By the night of 11 May the NVA consolidated their gains. On 12 May, they launched new attacks in an effort to take the city, but again failed.

After the attacks of 11 and 12 May, the NVA directed its main efforts to cutting off any more relief columns. However, by the 9th of June this proved ineffective, and the defenders were able to receive the injection of manpower and supplies needed to sweep the surrounding area of North Vietnamese forces. By 18 June 1972, the battle had been declared over.

After mid June, drops into An Loc were cut to two per day. Although pressure on An Loc decreased in late 1972, communist forces continued to hold Quan Loi airfield and threatened movement along Route 13. C-130s continued to resupply An Loc by air until December 1972. Both sides maintained defensive positions in the region as the likelihood of cease-fire increased. In MR I, General Truong, the “Savior of Hue,” emerged as the hero of the Easter Offensive. In MR II, the redoubtable Colonel Ba, who held Kontum, was the hero. On the southern front, in MR III, the hero was Major General Hollingsworth. It was he who saved An Loc. He strengthened the resolve of the ARVN Corps Commander when the situation looked grim. He visited An Loc daily during the worst of the shelling and encouraged both the ARVN troops and American advisors defending the city. Above all, largely because of his rapport with MACV Commander General Abrams, Hollingsworth was able to divert B-52 strikes from MR I and MR II to An Loc when the city was most seriously threatened. It was Hollingsworth and his Deputy, Brigadier General John R. McGiffert, an artillery officer who had also served in the 1st Infantry Division in 1966-67, who personally planned the B-52 and tactical air strikes that saved An Loc.

Like Stalingrad, Dien Bien Phu, and Khe Sanh, An Loc was a classic siege with the garrison supplied entirely by air. Unlike Stalingrad and Dien Bien Phu, the end results were much better for the besieged at An Loc. Through the coordinated efforts of the U.S. Army advisors under Hollingsworth; the air resupply effort, B-52 attacks, and tactical air strikes by the Air Force; and the determined resistance of the besieged ARVN forces, the South Vietnamese and their American allies were able to withstand a massive assault by the NVA and save the city of An Loc.

Peacetime Assignments

In 1973, Lieutenant General Hollingsworth was assigned as the Commanding General of 13 Divisions in South Korea, with the mission of defending the capital city of Seoul, and South Korea, from invasion by North Korea. For the next three years, LTG Hollingsworth served as commander of the largest field combat army in the world.

After his return to the United States in 1976, at the request of Senator Sam Nunn and with the approval of the Secretary of the Army, LTG Hollingsworth was directed to evaluate the U.S. Army's capability and potential to meet the threat of the Warsaw Pact in NATO Central Europe. The Hollingsworth Report was presented to the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Senate and House Armed Services Committees. The major thrust required an add-on of $46 billion to correct major deficiencies and to enhance the U.S. Army's capabilities.

The Hollingsworth Report briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee brought about the Nunn–Bartlett Senate Armed Services Committee Study of the entire U.S. Forces' capabilities in NATO Central Europe. The result of the Senate investigation not only approved the U.S. Army buildup but also the total commitment to the Defense of Europe. This buildup of the U.S. Forces undoubtedly impacted the fall of the Berlin Wall; demise of the Warsaw Pact; and the shortening of the Cold War.

Lieutenant General James Francis Hollingsworth retired from active duty in 1976.

Post-Military Life

After retirement from the Army, he founded Hollingsworth Consultants, Inc., and his company became a leading consultant for aerospace tactical technology from 1976 to 1997. He served as a member of the Chancellor's 21st Century Council of Advisors, Texas A & M University System; an Advisor to the President of Texas A & M University; and a member of the Board of Trustees at the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, TX. He also served on many other boards and committees and was in demand as a speaker at universities, high schools, civic clubs, commencements, Scottish Rite Valleys, etc. He and his wife, Janie Harris Hollingsworth, donated and willed over $3 million to the Texas A & M University, Corps of Cadets. They were devout members of the Episcopalian Church.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Cross with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Distinguished Service Medal with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Silver Star Medal with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Legion of Merit with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Soldier's Medal
Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device and 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters
Purple Heart with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
Air Medal with Valor Device and Award Numeral 36
Army Commendation Medal
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with Silver and 2 Bronze Stars
World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Bronze Stars
Vietnam Campaign Medal

Distinguished Service Cross Citation (1st of 3 Awards)

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry) James Francis Hollingsworth (ASN: 0-34155), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Headquarters, 2d Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, in action against enemy forces on 11 April 1945, in Germany. Colonel Hollingsworth personally led, in a 1/4 ton truck, a Task Force of tanks and infantry for fourteen hours in a dash of seventy-one miles from Gr. Douren, Germany, to the Elbe River at Schonebeck, Germany. On three occasions during the day he went into towns with small forces mounted in 1/4 ton trucks and, by surprise, effected a complete surrender without bloodshed of the German garrisons. When stopped by a road block in Schonebeck, near a bridge, he continued to direct the fight, although he was wounded twice and barely able to walk. Only after the bridge had been blown and all hope for its capture had vanished did he consent to evacuation for his wounds. Colonel Hollingsworth's heroic actions and aggressive leadership were directly responsible for the accomplishments of the Task Force under his command and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the armed forces.

General Orders: Headquarters, Seventh U.S. Army, General Orders No. 646 (1945)

Distinguished Service Cross Citation (2nd of 3 Awards)

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Brigadier General James F. Hollingsworth (ASN: 0-34155), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Headquarters, 1st Infantry Division. Brigadier General Hollingsworth distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous action during the period 5 November 1966 to 8 November 1966 while serving as Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Infantry Division. On 5 November 1966, three Special Forces units attacked what unexpectedly turned out to be a numerically superior Viet Cong force. Within minutes, General Hollingsworth was airborne over the battle area in his command and control helicopter. To gain an accurate knowledge of the fluid ground situation, he had his pilot fly repeated low level passes over the insurgent positions. During these reconnaissance passes, while receiving intense hostile fire, General Hollingsworth formulated stratagems for the maneuver of the ground units, ordered devastating air strikes and artillery barrages on the Viet Cong emplacements, and enable them to repel the numerically superior Viet Cong force. On 8 November, one of his battalions engaged several Viet Cong Units. Immediately upon arriving at the scene, General Hollingsworth fearlessly moved about the area of conflict issuing directives, maintaining fire discipline, and encouraging the men to fight with renewed efforts. With complete disregard for his personal safety, he continuously exposed himself to the concentrated Viet Cong fire to coordinate all facets of the battle. His masterful and unerring battle strategy accounted for one of the most significant victories in the current conflict. Brigadier General Hollingsworth's extraordinary heroism and inspiring leadership were in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, and the United States Army.

General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 590 (February 7, 1967)

Distinguished Service Cross Citation (3rd of 3 Awards)

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting a Second Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Third Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Brigadier General James F. Hollingsworth (ASN: 0-34155), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Headquarters, 1st Infantry Division. Brigadier General Hollingsworth distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 20 March 1967 while serving as Acting Commander, 1st Infantry Division when the artillery support base at Bau Bang came under intense enemy mortar attack a few hours after midnight. Taking off in his command helicopter, following a briefing on the situation, General Hollingsworth immediately flew to the besieged unit. Despite the devastating ground fire directed at his aircraft, he ordered his pilot to make repeated low level passes over the ravaged area while he dauntlessly reconnoitered it. Realizing that an insurgent ground assault was imminent, General Hollingsworth called for air strikes as he continued to expose himself to the hail of bullets streaking through the darkness. When flareships illuminated the battlefield, he located the Viet Cong assembly area and, ignoring his vulnerable position, guided the support aircraft in their bombing and strafing runs. At 0500 hours, the insurgents began their mass attack. Contemptuous of the grave dangers, General Hollingsworth flew directly over the assaulting force and adjusted artillery fire into the charging Viet Cong. During the entire engagement, he continuously risked his own safety to best coordinate and direct the aggressive defense, which finally repulsed the fanatical enemy. Through his boundless courage and tactical ingenuity, he was instrumental in the defeat of the Viet Cong regiment, in which over 250 insurgents were killed. Brigadier General Hollingsworth's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2075 (May 6, 1967)

Honors

● In 1980, Texas A&M named Hollingsworth a Distinguished Alumnus.
● In 1994, he was inducted into the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor.
● On 10 September 1999, a seven-foot-tall bronze statue of General Hollingsworth was unveiled in the Quadrangle on the Texas A & M University campus at College Station. It bears the name “Danger 79er,” which was Hollingsworth’s call sign during his service in Vietnam. It was only the third such honor bestowed on a graduate of Texas A & M. The plaque on his statue reads in part, “He was revered by his troops and feared by the enemy as a warrior who was always on the scene in times of need or at times of immense peril. A man of character, honor and dignity, he gave a full measure of discipline to every aspect of his life, a role model and a motivator to all who knew and loved him. A great Texas Aggie!”

Death and Burial

Lieutenant General James Francis Hollingsworth died on 2 March 2010 at home in San Antonio, TX. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Arlington County, VA.

[Some of the data used in describing the Siege at An Loc was derived from the article: The Siege at An Loc: How Air Resupply Helped Save the City by LTC Len Funk, USA-Ret. The entire article is located at https://armyhistory.org/the-siege-at-an-loc-how-air-resupply-helped-save-the-city/]