Deceased - 03/02/2009

From: KC and Paula Szmall

To: davebroeker@comcast.net

Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 1:10 PM

Subject: Passing of Sgt Bruce Holtzendorff, K-9, Phu Cat Vietnam 1970-71

Was there a notice of Bruce's passing? I am sorry to say I just became aware of it myself.

Three of us (Bruce, Jimmy Adams, and I) volunteered for a new unit called Patrol Dog Handlers and we were the second group trained at the Lackland and Medina training facilities. Upon completion of this training we were assigned to the 12th and 37th CSG, K-9 Detachment at Phu Cat AB, Republic of Viet Nam, from 1970 thru 1971.

There were four of us (from Oxnard) assigned to Phu Cat, Ray Parks, Jimmy Adams, Bruce and myself. Ray Parks and Jimmy Adams never made it home alive. Then there were just the two of us.

Bruce and I were good friends; he protected my back just as I protected his. Upon parting ways at LAX in 1971 we drifted apart. We finally made contact, for a short time, through VSPA (Viet Nam Security Police Association Site). I have been trying to get a response from his e-mail for some time, without any results. I started to do site searches when I came across Holtzendorff.com, I selected the sub-directory “Bruce” and to my amazement and sorrow I saw that Bruce passed away on March 2, 2009. He was buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

He was a good and honorable friend, a husband to Rae, a father of five children, a grandfather of three grandchildren, and was retired from the L. A. Sheriff's Department. A man who would fight to protect family, friends and country. I miss him and am great-full to have been privileged to have known him and called him my friend.