Holts helped pave the way for the integration of the U.S. armed services by serving with the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. As the product of an integrated high school, Holts was surprised to find when he enlisted in the Army in 1942 that white and black soldiers were segregated. While most black soldiers served in non-combat support roles, Holt was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group and 447th Bombardment Group in Tuskegee, Alabama, the first African-American fighting air squadrons. He passed the qualifying exam and was admitted into aviation training. As Holts later put it, he eventually “washed out” of the rigorous training program. But he would remain with the Tuskegee Airmen in a support role, serving as a draftsman under legendary Tuskegee commander Benjamin O. Davis. The valor and performance of the Tuskegee airmen helped shoot down claims blacks were not fit for combat, within a decade leading to full integration of all U.S. armed services. After the war, Holts served as a postal worker in Detroit before retiring in Omaha.
Robert passed away in 2021 at the age of 96.