World War II Honoree

Jack Lamar Nichols

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Birmingham, Alabama

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 30 MAY 1942 AT BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. DURING THE SUMMER OF 1944, HE UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT HARVARD ARMY AIRFIELD, NEBRASKA. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 313TH BOMB WING, 505TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VERY HEAVY), 482ND BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT NORTH FIELD ON TINIAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 10 FEBRUARY 1945, HE FLEW IN THE LEFT SEAT AS THE AIRPLANE COMMAND PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'WOLF PACK' (TAIL # 42-24787). IT WAS ONE OF 120 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-WING GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE NAKAJIMA AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY PLANT AT OTA ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF TOKYO, JAPAN. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, THE GROUP WAS ATTACKED BY A BAND OF NAKAJIMA KI-44 SINGLE-ENGINE 'TOJO' FIGHTER PLANES. ON THE 1500-MILE RETURN ROUTE HOME, HIS B-29 AIRCRAFT WAS LAST REPORTED BY THE TINIAN TOWER AT 2257 HUNDRED HOURS STATING THAT THE PLANE WAS 20 MINUTES FROM BASE AND OKAY. ON 11 FEBRUARY 1945, A SEARCH MISSION CONSISTING OF 8 PLANES COVERED A RADIUS OF 500 MILES NORTH, AND 100 MILES EAST AND WEST FROM THE BASE OVER AN 8-HOUR PERIOD, WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FORCED TO DITCH IN THE OCEAN DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF THE AIRCREW.