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| K e n s m e n : 4 3 r d B o m b G r o u p (H), 5 t h A A F | ||
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| 1ST LT. "NICK" PAUL L. NICHOLS Squadron: 65TH BSQ. Position: AFTER CHECKING OUT AS A FIRST PILOT ON OWI I STAYED ON THE SAME CREW (CAPT. THOMAS J. SCANNELL'S CREW) AND SPLIT PILOT TIME WITH TJ FOR THE BALANCE OF OUR MISSIONS. I FLEW OUR CREW ON OUR LAST MISSION WITHOUT TOM BUT WE ALL REMAINED THE ORIGINAL CREW UNTIL THEN. TOM KNEW HE WANTED TO BECOME A FARMER WHEN HE GOT OUT AFTER THE WAR BUT I WAS NOT SURE MYSELF SO WE MADE A HECKOFA GOOD TEAM TOGETHER FOR A TOTAL OF 42 MISSONS. I FEEL NOW THAT STICKING TOGETHER PROBABLY SAD BOTTH OF OUR LIVES AND THOSE OF OUR CREW AS WELL AS BEING CHOSEN TO LEAD THE SQUADRON AS WELL AS THE GROUP ON QUITE A FEW MISSIONS. Served: JULY '44 TO MAY '45 NADZAB TO CLARK FIELD Originally from: IOWA (AMES) Training: WEST COAST TRAINING COMMAND - BASIC ARMY AT JEFFRSON BARRICKS, MO. COLLLEGE TRAINING DETACHMENT AT HASTINGS, NEB. CADET PREFLIGHT -SANTA ANA, CALIF. PRIMARY FLIGHT TRAINING -OXNARD, CALIF. BASIC FLIGHT TRAINING -CHICO,CALIF. ADVANCED FLIGHT TRAINING -STOCKTON, CALIF. B-24 CREW TRAINING -TONAPAH, NEV. Citations/Medals: AIR METAL PLUS 3 OAKLEAF CLUSTERS AS FAR AS I EVER KNEW. ONCE I GOT BACK INTO CIVILIAN LIFE I NEVER LOOKED BACK BUT MUST HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CLAIM BRITISH, NETHERLAND, INDONESIA, PHILIPPEAN MEDALS FOR DEFENDING AND TAKING BACK THIER COUNTRIES FOR THEM BUT NEVER RECIVED EVEN A THNK YOU AS FAR AS I KNOW. Planes: I DON'T REMEMBER BEING TOO INTERESTED IN THE NAMES OF THE SHIP AS WE FLEW WHAT EVER PLANE WAS MECHANICALLY READY TO FLY AND WERE GLAD WE HAD SUCH GREAT MECHANICS CAUSE WE PUT SOME HOURS ON THOSE BABIES. Number of Missions: 42 MISSIONS Description of Missions: MY FIRST MISSION WAS OUT OF NADZAB NEW GUINEA. WE BOMBED NUMFOUR ISLAND,HALMAHERA TARGETS,CELEBES TARGETS, BALIKPAPEN, BORNEO,FIRAT DAYLIGHT RAID ON THE PHILIPPEANS PLUS MANY OTHE TARGETS ON PHIIPPEAN ISLAND TARGETS, MANY FORMOSA ISLAND TARGETS (NOW TAIWAN ISLAND) AND CHINA TARGETS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND 20 BUCKS FOR MY BOOK " MY LUCKY DICE" WHICH GIVES MORE GRAPHIC DESCRPTION TO PAUL NICHOLS, P.O BOX 151, PICAYUNE, MS 39466 Most poignant, sad or touching memory of the war: THE LOSS OF OUR GREAT NAVIGATOR, DONALD HUNTOVER BALKPAPIN, BORNEO. WE ALSO LOST A GOOD FRIEND THAT TOOK DON'S CORNER OF OUR TENT IN OWI AFTER DON'S DEATH. HE WAS A PILOT SENT OVER STRAIGHT FROM THE STATES WITH NO B-24 TRAINING AND WAS LOST ON HIS FIRST TRAINING MISSION TO THE PHILIPPEANS. WHAT A DAMNED SHAME.WE LOST ALOT OF GOOD FRIENS OVER THERE OVER THE YEAR WE FLEW COMBAT. Funniest or most fun memory of the war: I DON'T REMEMBER VERY MANY FUNNY THINGS BUT I'M SURE THERE WERE SOME. THE MOST FUN WAS OUR 2 TRIPS DOWN TO THE BATTLE OF SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA. Any odd or strange memories from the war: I RAN INTO A FRIEND FROM MY HOME TOWN ON A FAT CAT MISSION TO OLLANDIA,NEW GUINEA. HE WAS CAPT' AND A PILOT OF OVER 100 SORTIES IN P-40'S. SHORTLY AFTER OUR GET TOGETHER HE RETUNED TO THE STATES AND WAS FLYING P-38'S IN CALIFORNIA. I GOT A MESSAGE FROM MY FOLKS TELLING ME THAT HE HAD BEEN KILLED WHEN HIS P-38 LOST AN ENGINE ON TAKEOFF AND THE TORQUE FLIPPED HIM OVER BEFORE HE COULD GET CONTROL. Most heroic thing I saw or did: I FEEL IT WAS WHEN I TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO BREAK RADIO SILENCE AND AT THE LAST POSSIBLE CHANCE GET PERMISSION TO MAKE A CLIMBING 180 WHICH ALLOWED US TO AVOID GOING INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF BALETE PASS ON LUZON THUS SAVING 6 PLANES WHICH WE WERE LEADING FROM FOLLOWING THE 403RD WHO DID LOOSE 2 BOMBERS IN THOSE MOUNTAINS. WE WERE SUPPORTING THE INFANTRY AND FOUND AN OPENING IN THE CLOUDS BY GOING ABOVE INSTEAD OF BELOW THE LOW OVER CAST. WE DIDN'T FIND OUT ABOUT THE 403RD UNTIL WE GOT BACK TO BASE. Where I was and how I celebrated when I learned the war was over: I WAS ABOUT TO GET MARRIED AND THOUGH I WAS VERY HAPPY I WAS ALREADY ON MY WAY TO BEING DICHARGED AND STARTING MY CIVILIAN LIFE. I WAS HAPPY FOR THOSE GUYS THAT WERE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE JAPAN BECAUSE I KNEW HOW TOUGH THAT WAS GOING TO BE. How having gone to war has affected me, what comes to mind when I think of the war: I THINK THE MOST LASTING THIN COMBAT HAS HAD ON MY LIFE IS THAT I WAS HARDENED TO DEATH AND I THINK LOOK AT LIFE IN A MUCH MORE REALLISTIC WAS THAN THOSE I KNOW WHO DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE DEATH OF COMBAT. To future generations: WAR IS MUCH BETTER AVOIDED THAN EXPERIENCED BUT I DON'T ADVOCATE SHIRKING DUTY WHEN IT CALLS. |
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