World War II Honoree

Lewis Henry Nichols

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Roanoke, Virginia

Honored By

VFW Post 7854 - Floyd County, Virginia and Lewis Nichols

Relationship

Son

ENLISTED AT RICHMOND, VIRGINIA IN THE ARMY AIR FORCE ON 11 SEPTEMBER 1942. COMPLETED BASIC AND AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC TRAINING AND QUALIFIED AS A DRIVER. DEPARTED THE U.S. FOR SCOTLAND IN SEPTEMBER 1943 ABOARD THE 'QUEEN MARY'. SERVED WITH THE 9TH AIR FORCE, 99TH BOMB WING, 322ND BOMB GROUP, 450TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON AT ANDREWS FIELD, GREAT SAILING, BRAINTREE, ESSEX, UNITED KINGDOM. ASSIGNED TO THE MOTOR POOL WHERE HE SUPERVISED FOUR MEN IN DOING REPAIR WORK ON WHEELED VEHICLES. MADE 1,000 AND 6,000 MILE OVERHAULS. REPAIRED DIFFERENTIALS, ENGINES, TRANSMISSIONS, AND PARTS OF THE CHASSIS. MADE REPLACEMENTS OF SMALL PARTS. ALSO ASSIGNED TO AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT UNIT IN DEFENSE OF THE AIRFIELD. TOOK PART IN THE RHINELAND AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS, EARNING TWO BATTLE STARS. AFTER GERMANY'S SURRENDER IN MAY 1945, HE WAS SENT TO ERDING, A FORMER LUFTWAFFE AIRFIELD IN GERMANY THAT HAD BEEN SEIZED BY THE ARMY, AND ASSIGNED TO THE 43RD AIR DEPOT GROUP. DEPARTED EUROPE FOR THE U.S. ABOARD A LIBERTY SHIP IN NOVEMBER 1945. AWARDED THE FOLLOWING DECORATIONS: THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, THE ARMY OCCUPATION MEDAL, THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL, THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, A MARKSMAN BADGE WITH RIFLE BAR, A DRIVER AND MECHANICS BADGE WITH DRIVER 'W' BAR, AND THE WWII HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. ATTAINED THE RANK OF SERGEANT. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AT FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND ON 21 DECEMBER 1945. SERVED 3 YEARS, 3 MONTHS AND 11 DAYS.