Eric Holmes May
Eric Holmes May died October 14, 2014 after a courageous 9-year fight against service-connected ALS, with Gretchen holding his hand. He gave his life for his country.
Born January 9, 1960, Eric was a native Houstonian who enjoyed people, classical and classic vinyl music, Texas football, hiking, camping, and cycling. He was a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Eric joined the U.S. Army in 1977. He achieved the rank of Captain and perfected skills in linguistics, public affairs and military intelligence. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Houston in 1985 with a B.A. in classical studies. He spoke Russian, Spanish, Greek and Latin.
He taught high school for a while, where he astonished students by playing several games of chess, simultaneously. He was awarded Teacher of the Year and received a certificate of appreciation from the City of Houston for stopping a gang from terrorizing students.
His true passion was writing. He wrote editorials for KPRC news. He published numerous op-eds in the Houston Post, Houston Chronicle, The Wall Street Journal The Lone Star Iconoclast and Veterans Today. He was also a poet and showered Gretchen with his poetry.
He loved politics and debate. He founded Ghosttroop.net, a collaboration of civilians and servicemen who argued and wrote about military and national issues.
To mourn him, Eric is survived by his wife and devoted caregiver, Gretchen; his mother, Carolyn; his children, Caroline and Andrew; son in law, Chris; siblings, April, Melody and Philip; and numerous other loved family and friends. His beloved father, Harry Holmes May preceded him in death in 2012.
Eric and Gretchen are forever grateful to the many caregivers, doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists who educated, cared, and supported them throughout his illness, particularly his niece, Victoria White, and the medical staff of 3D at the V.A. Hospital.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to an ALS Charity or to the Wounded Warrior Project. Remember Eric on May Day by showing appreciation to a nurse or caregiver in his memory.
Take a walk today, feel the sun on your face, the Texas wind in your hair and know that Eric is in God’s loving hands and he is at peace.
A 9:00 a.m. visitation, 10:00 a.m. rosary, and 10:30 funeral mass are scheduled for Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at St. Helen’s Catholic Church in Pearland, Texas. His burial with military honors will be 1:15 p.m. at the Houston National Cemetery.
Words just cannot express the hurt I feel for your family and friends. Growing up next to Eric showed me what an achiever he was. He always treated everyone with respect and kindness. God bless you all and especially to his children
Robert Fisher
Thank You, young man, for your service to our beloved America and
for your precious gift to me and mine, the gift of “Freedom”.
It would have been an honor to have known you.
I offer my condolences to your family in their time of sorrow.
Old Pa
Gretchen, I am so sorry for your loss. Please know that you and your family are in my thoughts. He certainly fought the good fight.
carol I am so sorry to hear about eric.i have been keeping mama (nora fisher) informed on everything.he certainly lived a great life.thinking of you
I worked closely with Eric May for several years and had a special opportunity to get to know him in my role as author of the “Mission of Conscience” series online at http://tinyurl.com/yh2r3zl. This documents Captain May’s work as a public activist in the “Info War.” Since he helped support my authorship of this series, and continually went out of his way to educate the public regarding many of the most extremely serious and controversial issues of our time, I think it is entirely appropriate to reference this series on his obituary web page.
I close the “Mission of Conscience” series in Chapter 39 at: http://tinyurl.com/y9h2jpg with the following poem by Captain May, which is also fitting for his funeral:
Novae Thermopylae
(The New Thermopylae)
Stranger, you who have come and will soon depart,
Know that spirits linger here, though the wail
Of war is gone, and the reason of its start
Is lost. Give honor, you who read our tale.
We are the lilies of the battlefield,
Cut down by hands much feared, but not unkind.
Loud-roaring death, when it came to reap its yield,
Became a guileless girl with blameless mind.
She walked with aimless grace, and we her claim
She gathered in her skirt, and thus addressed:
“My tiger lilies, the sun’s all-giving flame
Was your last vision. Come my dead, my blessed.
My heroes, in boldest act and manly rage
You conquered winter’s gloom, the twin of age!”
Lt. Eric May, 1984
The “Info War” is far from over, in fact following publication of the last book of my Mission of Conscience Trilogy in February 2010, quite a few pre-existing threats have intensified. Many new threats have appeared on both an international and domestic level. The stakes are now higher than ever. However, genuinely patriotic resistance has also intensified. As in any prolonged struggle, many individuals must selflessly fight “Alamos” and “Thermopylaes” along the way in order to wear down enemies and buy time for gathering resistance even though these individuals may never live to see the final outcome. For those of us who survive Eric May, we must each find our own way to continue a “Mission of Conscience.”
Captain May mobilized the efforts of many talented individuals at crucial moments in the fight against tyranny. He accomplished quite a lot in terms of raising public awareness about the reality of high level corruption in America and false flag threats both at home and abroad. He continued to fight the good fight even as Lou Gehrig’s disease gradually rendered him a complete quadriplegic.
Captain May was also enigmatic in many ways. As a former U.S. Army intelligence officer who closely followed high level intrigues and even became involved in them, it is quite possible that many years from now insiders will go public with additional information and government documents will be declassified that reveal new dimensions regarding Captain May’s life and work. However, based on what I know so far, he had many heroic attributes that remain undeniable. He was a fighter to the very end, and his sharp intellect and steely determination earned him the respect of friends and foes alike.
Major William B. Fox
Former Regular and Reserve officer
United States Marine Corps
Sarver, Pennsylvania
Eric is missed by all people of conscience. Even when he could no longer stand, few stood as tall as Captain Eric May.
Gordon Duff
Veterans Today
I am, as a former service member who served my country in much the same capacity, can only say with the utmost respect, that what I know of this genuine and honest soldier, that he took his Oath seriously and knew it to be a lifelong commitment to the principles of freedom and liberty which we have since egregiously lost in the past 51 years in the ‘coup’ that rendered this nation unto a de-facto dictatorship, long before many of us took that Oath, to defend the U.S. Constitution against ALL ENEMIES BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
Eric clearly understood that Oath, and faithfully executed it. May he rest not merely in Peace, but in HONOR, for his unswerving, solemn dedication to duty.
I knew Eric. I spent some time with him at the VA. He was in the sane room as my father. Despite his health problems he was always kind and upbeat when I saw him, he was always working on his computer, he was very busy. I liked him from the moment I met him, and on one hand I’m terribly happy he is free of the body he was living in, and I’m saddened tremendously because he was so kind and yet had so many reasons he could have been bitter. I who knew him so little will miss him because he’s joined in my memories of my father forever.
I will always have you in my heart. You were my friend, my confidant, my boyfriend when we were young. Thank you Eric for being my vest friend at our youthful time in life.
I will always have you in my heart. You were my friend, my confidant and my boyfriend in our young youthful years of life. I loved your poetry, the love of my classical performances and will cherish the friendship we had forever. Thank you Eric for the treasured times we had as friends.
I was one of Eric’s Ghost Troopers in the later 90’s. FWD his stuff on email trees. Was sad to hear he passed away. He has at least been united with his real ghost troops who died in the battle to take the Airport in Baghdad.