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NAME Jack Arnold Nichols |
NICKNAME — |
SERVICE NUMBER O-10292 |
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| UNIT VMF-215 Pilot |
HOME OF RECORD 216 North 7th Avenue East Newton, IA |
NEXT OF KIN Wife, Mrs. Peggy Nichols |
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| DATE OF BIRTH July 10, 1920 at Newton, IA |
ENTERED SERVICE June 1941 (US Navy) June 3, 1942 (commissioned) |
DATE OF LOSS July 30, 1943 |
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| REGION Solomon Islands |
CAMPAIGN / AREA Gizo Island |
CASUALTY TYPE Killed In Action |
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| CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS Captain Jack A. Nichols was a pilot assigned to VMF-215, a Marine fighter squadron based at Guadalcanal in the summer of 1943. On 30 July, Nichols participated in a combination escort and fighter sweep mission to Kahili Airfield in southern Bougainville. Cloud cover obscured the target, so the Americans went after Ballale instead. They tangled with some Zeros over Ballale, and were harassed on the return flight. Over Gizo Island in the western Solomons, a Japanese fighter got the best of Captain Nichols. The Corsair went down under control, and the rest of VMF-215 hoped Nichols could make a safe water landing. However, Jack Nichols was never seen again. He was declared dead on the day of the mission. |
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| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS Purple Heart |
LAST KNOWN RANK Captain |
STATUS OF REMAINS Not Recovered |
MEMORIALS Manila American Cemetery |
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