Sister of Oklahoman killed in Iraq plans documentary

Wednesday, March 9th 2005, 9:34 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma native Fern Holland was killed in an ambush in Iraq a year ago today, and today her sister leaves for west Africa to begin a documentary on Fern Holland's life.

Vi Holland of Oklahoma City is going to legal clinics her sister established in refugee camps and plans to interview refugees for the documentary. Holland says her family has turned down book and movie deals and a television documentary because they want to focus on Fern Holland's life, not her death.

Fern Holland, her translator and an assistant were gunned down in a roadside ambush. She worked for the Coalition Provisional Authority and helped write part of the interim Iraq constitution about women's rights.

She was posthumously awarded the Medal for the Defense of Freedom, which is the civilian equivalent of the Medal of Honor. Governor Henry awarded her a Heroic Oklahoman Award and Oklahoma Today magazine named her Oklahoman of the Year.