COL John Bradley Holcomb, MD, US Army Retired

Individual Award Winner, 2016

COL John Bradley Holcomb (Ret) is currently the Director of the Center for Translational Injury Research at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. COL Holcomb was recognized as “The Warrior’s Combat Surgeon” by the Journal of TRAUMA, Injury, Infection and Critical Care. He is a Soldier-Surgeon-Scientist who has contributed scientific literature to more than 460 publications and serves on editorial boards of multiple medical journals. He has led national and international research and policy efforts to improve the care of trauma casualties. COL Holcomb served 23 years in the military and distinguished himself as an innovator in combat casualty care. During that time, he served in Somalia, where he was on the surgical team that delivered 48-hour non-stop surgical care to the soldiers that inspired the book and film Black Hawk Down. His accomplishments are too numerous and varied to list.

“In researching the career of COL Holcomb, it became obvious that he is indeed a ‘Living Letterman,’” explains NMCWM Executive Director David Price, “The New York Times published a profile of COL Holcomb in November of 2007 that chronicled his commitment to improving medical care for wounded warriors. He redesigned the evacuation system for wounded soldiers, he advocated for the Joint Theater Trauma Registry to help standardize medical care and identify best practices, and he continued to work on new treatments to improve care – just like Major Jonathan Letterman did during the Civil War. There are few more deserving of this award than COL Holcomb.”

Do you know someone who carries on Letterman’s legacy today.
NOMINATE them for the Major Jonathan Letterman Medical Excellence Award.