World War II Honoree

David Leland 'Lee' Nickell

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Pateros, Washington

Honored By

Elaine Nickell & Lt. Col. Charles T. Borg, USA (Ret.)

Relationship

Wife & Family Friend

SERVED WITH ARMY GROUND FORCES IN BOTH EUROPEAN AND PACIFIC THEATERS OF WAR. JOINED ARMY MARCH, 1943 AT SPOKANE, WASHINGTON. SENT TO FORT DOUGLAS, UTAH FOR FURTHER ASSIGNMENT TO CAMP GRUBER, OKLAHOMA. TRANSFERRED TO MCALISTER INTERNMENT CAMP, OKLAHOMA. RECEIVED TRAINING FOR MILITARY POLICE. GUARDED GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR CAPTURED BY THE AMERICANS IN NORTH AFRICA. IN LATE 1943 WAS TRANSFERRED TO 736TH HEAVY ARTILLERY BATTALION (8 INCH) AT FORT ORD, CALIFORNIA. TRAINED AT FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA AS AN ARTILLERY GUN MECHANIC. IN MID 1943, TRANSFERRED TO 523RD ENGINEERS BATTALION AT CAMP ROBERTS, CALIFORNIA AS A CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT MECHANIC. INSPECTED, TESTED AND REPAIRED HEAVY DUTY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT. DEPLOYED TO EUROPEAN THEATER, ARRIVING AT LA HAVRE, FRANCE, MARCH 1945. IN JUNE 1945, WAS SHIPPED TO THE PACIFIC THEATER, GOING FIRST TO NEW GUINEA, THEN TO LEYTE, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS TO PREPARE FOR THE INVASION OF JAPAN. BEFORE THE INVASION COMMENCED, JAPAN SURRENDERED. REMAINED AT LEYTE UNTIL JANUARY 1946. RETURNED TO U.S. AND WAS DISCHARGED AT FORT LEWIS, WASHINGTON. RECEIVED GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN THEATER MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL, 2 OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS AND DUTY MECHANICS BADGE.