Thomas Edward "Tommie" Nichols
 

Born:  April 1, 1938, Abilene, Taylor County, Texas

Died:  February 1, 1969, Hoc Mon, Viet Nam

Buried:  Fort Bliss National Cemetery, El Paso, Texas

Tommie Nichols - 1956

  
From the CHS Corral:  Tommie Nichols is shown in all four classes with the class of 1956, graduating in May 1956.

While at CHS, he was Salutatorian of the Class of 1956; Monroe G Cheney Award; a member of the Future Farmers of America, 1952 - 1956; National Honor Society, 1954 - 1956; Science Club, 1955 - 1956; Treasures of the Annual Staff, 1955 - 1956; Art Editor of the Radio Staff, 1955 - 1956; FFA Cond. Team, 1952 - 1955; FFA Judging Team, 1953 -1954; Secretary of FFA, 1954 - 1955; Chairman of Rad. Staff, 1955; Deputy Sheriff City Day, 1956; "C" Award, 1955; Lone Star Farmer, 1956; Scholarship Award FFA, 1954 - 1955.

About Tommie:

Apparently Tommie enlisted in the military service soon after graduation from CHS.

HEADQUARTERS
UNITED STATES MILITARY ASSISTANCE COMMAND, VIETNAM
APO San Francisco 96222

28 January 1968
GENERAL ORDERS
231
AWARD OF THE SILVER STAR

1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced.

NICHOLS, THOMAS E. CAPTAIN, INFANTRY, Advisory Team 86, MACV

Awarded: Silver Star
Date action: 12 October 1967
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
Reason: For gallantry in action: Captain Nichols distinguished himself by gallantry in action on 12 October 1967 while serving as an Infantry  Advisor to the 4th Battalion, 50th Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam.  On that date, the battalion headquarters, Long An Province, came under attack from an estimated reinforced Vietcong company.  At the onset, Captain Nichols and members of his team were manning the advisory bunker.  The bunker was the target of two accurately thrown hand grenades which exploded within the bunker causing serious wounds to Captain Nichols.  The force of the grenade blew him out of the bunker and he landed in a pool of water.  Upon recovery, and despite his wounds, the loss of his glasses and his weapon, Captain Nichols noticed that two Vietcong soldiers were approaching the bunker and without regard for his safety he stood up and detracted the enemy.  Captain Nichol’s action allowed the two remaining inhabitants of the bunker to escape.  Captain Nichols, then ignoring the extreme danger, assisted a seriously wounded fellow advisor to safety and then assumed a position in a small perimeter and then fought off the enemy.  As a result of his extraordinary valor and absolute dedication to duty, this action allowed other team members to remove the wounded to a secure area and return to help fight off the enemy until a reactionary force arrived.  Captain Nichols’ conspicuous gallantry in action was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflected great credit upon himself and the military service.
Authority: By direction of the President under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 9 July 1918.

FOR THE COMMANDER: 

WALTER T. KERWIN, JR.
Major General, USA
Chief of Staff

(Transcribed from original orders by Billy M. Brown)

On 1 February 1969, the 190th Assault Helicopter Company was tasked with providing airlift in support of a MAC-V Advisory Team.  The aircraft, UH-1D tail number 66-00845, flown by pilot 2Lt M. S. Cheney and copilot WO J. D. Barnes, departed base at about 1300.  It proceeded to the HQ III Corps helipad, thence to Bien Hoa, and thence to the 3rd ARVN Engineer Battalion helipad at Hoc Mon, landing at about 1340 with three passengers aboard.  Four additional passengers boarded the helicopter at Hoc Mon.  With 2Lt Cheney at the controls, the UH-1 lifted off into a hover, and then commenced forward flight into a southerly wind.  After about 130 feet of travel the Huey's main rotor blade struck a flagpole, ripping the transmission from the aircraft.  The fuselage continued forward and impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude.  Of the eleven men aboard, five died and four others were injured in the crash.  The dead included CPT Thomas E. Nichols, Amarillo, Texas, MACV Advisory Team 95.

PERSONAL DATA
  Home of Record:  Amarillo, Texas
  Date of birth:        Friday, 04/01/1938
  Religion:              Episcopal, Anglican

MILITARY DATA
  Service:           Army  (Reserve)
  Grade at loss:  O3
  Rank:               Captain
  ID No:              O2303639 
  MOS:               G2162 Operations & Training Staff Officer (G3, S3)
  LenSvc:           Between 12 and 13 years
  Unit:                ADV TEAM 95, MACV ADVISORS, MACV

CASUALTY DATA
  Start Tour:       Tuesday, 09/26/1967
  Cas Date:        Saturday, 02/01/1969
  Age at Loss:    30
  Remains:        Body Recovered
  Location:        Hua Nghia, South Vietnam
  Type:              Non-hostile, Died Of Other Causes
  Reason:          Air Loss, Crash - Land - Helicopter - Noncrew

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
  Combat Infantryman’s Badge
  Silver Star 
  Bronze Star and Oak Leaf Cluster (Meritorious Service)
  Purple Heart
  Air Medal
  Army Commendation’s Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters (one award with Combat “V”)
  National Defense Service Medal
  Vietnam Service Medal
  Vietnam Campaign Medal
  Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm
  Vietnam Military Merit Medal
  Vietnam Civil Action Medal 

ON THE WALL       Panel 33W Line 033

(Information furnished by Bill Brown, The Virtual Wall Website)

Odessa Soldier Dies in Crash

U. S. Army Capt. Thomas E. Nichols, son of Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey D. Nichols, 1418 Tulip, was injured fatally Saturday in the crash of a military plane in Vietnam.  His parents were notified Monday of his death, and the message from the War Department said he was a passenger aboard a military aircraft which crashed, while attempting a take-off.  The plane did not burn. 

The 30 year old officer was a native of Abilene where he was born, but grew up in Coleman, moving to Odessa in 1957 with his parents.  He was high honor boy of his Coleman High School graduating class of 1956.  After moving to Odessa he attended Odessa College and the University of Texas. 

He was on full time active duty with the National Guard units in Odessa and Amarillo before transferring to the regular army in 1966.  He had been in Vietnam since September, 1967.  Only a month after arriving there to serve as a plans advisor for a Vietnamese Army unit, he received the Silver Star for gallantry in action.  He also holds the Air Medal and Purple Heart.  The major citation was given him for an encounter with Viet Cong, during which a hand grenade exploded near a bunker in which he and his men were staying, blowing him into a pool of water and breaking his glasses and causing a concussion and fragmentary wounds to his body.  “Although handicapped by his wounds, the loss of his glasses and his weapon” said the citation, “Captain Nichols stood up to distract two Viet Cong he saw going toward the bunker.  Capt. Nichols’ action gave the men inside time to escape.”  He later assisted a seriously wounded fellow advisor to safety and assumed a position inside a small perimeter set up by friendly Vietnamese soldiers until a reactionary force arrived.

His survivors include his wife, Benita of Longview, a daughter, Lauren Sue Nichols of Longview, three step daughters, Lisa, Leslie and Leah Ray Glossbrenner, all of Longview; his parents, two sisters, Mary Ann Nichols of the parent’s home and Connie Jo Nichols of Austin; a brother Weldon Nichols of Abilene, and his grandmother, Mrs. T. W. Thompson, 3108 Blossom Lane, Odessa.

(Odessa American, February 4, 1969, Section 1B, page 1;
transcription by Billy M. Brown, PBVVM, November 4, 2005.)

Tommy Nichols Killed in Vietnam

Word has been received that Major Tommy Nichols, formerly of Coleman, was killed in action in Vietnam Saturday, February 1.  Among survivors are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Nichols, who resided in Coleman before moving to Odessa about 10 years ago; his wife and four children of Longview, and an uncle Erman Miller of Coleman.  Funeral services are pending.

(Coleman Chronicle and Democrat-Voice, Coleman, Texas, February 4, 1969, page 1.)

 
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