William R. Holmes passed away on November 07, 2016 at home in Vass. Mr. Holes was born in Sandersville Georgia and attended public schools in Macon, Georgia. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1963 and immediately entered the U.S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant of Ordnance. He served in the Army for 32 years, retiring as a Brigadier General. Among Holmes’ many assignments were command tours of the 630th and 188th Ordnance Companies in Vietnam, the 96th Ordnance Company in Germany, the Hawthorne Ammunition Depot in Nevada, the Seneca Army Depot in New York and as Commanding General of Pictatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. His final Army assignment was as the Deputy of Ammunition the Army Material Command in Washington, D.C. His awards and decorations for his Army service included the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, 4 awards of the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal with ”V” device for Valor. After retiring from the Army, Holmes was selected to be the President and CEO of the Munitions and Defense Business Sector of the Day & Zimmermann Company in Philadelphia. Here, he was responsible for the operation of 7 Army owned Ammunition Plants located across the USA, as well as the oversight of Day & Zimmerman’s world-wide base operations and security business. He served in this position with Day & Zimmermann for 9 years before retiring and moving to North Carolina in 2008. General Holmes was an active member of the National Defense Industrial Association, The Association of the U.S. Army an the Southern Pines Rotary Club. He is survived by his beloved wife, Camilla, who resides in Vass and his brother, Carl, who lives in Anderson, South Carolina.