World War II Honoree

George Nickerson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

San Antonio, Texas

Honored By

David G. Nickerson

Relationship

Son

HE WAS A DEGREED ELECTRICAL ENGINEER FROM TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AND A FIRST LIEUTENANT IN THE CAVALRY RESERVES OF THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES WHEN HE WAS CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT ON OCTOBER 26, 1940. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE AIR CORPS IN THE REGULAR ARMY. IN MARCH OF 1942 HE WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN. HE SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN AND NORTH AFRICAN THEATERS OF OPERATION FROM JUNE 1942 THROUGH APRIL 1945 WITH THE 37TH AIR SERVICE GROUP AND THE 50TH AIR SERVICE SQUADRON. ON JUNE 29, 1942, WHILE AT FT. DIX, NEW JERSEY, HE RECEIVED HIS ORDERS FOR FOREIGN SERVICE. ON JULY 1, 1942, HE LEFT NEW YORK CITY ON A TROOP TRANSPORT SHIP, THE USAT ARGENTINA, WHICH WAS BOUND FOR EUROPE. ON BOARD THE SHIP FROM HIS STATEROOM OFFICE HE HEADED A 38 MAN, MULTI-TRADE, MAINTENANCE CREW THAT ANSWERED AND RESOLVED ALL MANNER OF COMPLAINTS AND PROBLEMS. HE ARRIVED IN THE FIRTH OF CLYDE, GOUROCK, SCOTLAND, ON JULY 12, 1942. HE WAS IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND UNTIL JULY 26, 1942, AT WHICH TIME HE DEPARTED FOR, AND ARRIVED IN, KETTERING, ENGLAND. HE SERVED AT THE MOLESWORTH AND PODINGTON AIR BASES IN ENGLAND UNTIL NOVEMBER 11, 1942. HE LEFT ENGLAND VIA TRANSPORT SHIP AND ARRIVED IN ORAN, ALGERIA, IN NORTH AFRICA, ON NOVEMBER 27, 1942. HE WAS STATIONED AT VARIOUS AIR BASES IN BOTH ALGERIA AND TUNISIA IN NORTH AFRICA. FROM SEPTEMBER 18, 1942, TO FEBRUARY 14, 1943, HE WAS COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE 50TH AIR SERVICE SQUADRON AT BISKRA AIR BASE IN ALGERIA, WHICH SERVICED, FUELED, AND REPAIRED BOMBER AND FIGHTER AIRPLANES. BEGINNING ON FEBRUARY 14, 1943 HE SERVED AS BASE ENGINEERING OFFICER. THEN ON JULY 2, 1943 HE SERVED AS BASE UTILITIES OFFICER. IN SEPTEMBER 1943, HE WAS PROMOTED TO MAJOR. ON DECEMBER 13, 1943, HE DEPARTED EL AOUINA, TUNISIA, AND ARRIVED IN NAPLES, ITALY. HE WAS IN BARI, ITALY, FROM DECEMBER 14, 1943 UNTIL JANUARY 8, 1944. THEN, HE WAS STATIONED AT THE AIR BASE IN FOGGIA, ITALY, FROM JANUARY 8, 1944, UNTIL MARCH 16, 1945. FINALLY HE WAS IN NAPLES, ITALY, FROM MARCH 16, 1945, UNTIL HIS DEPARTURE FOR THE JOURNEY HOME. HE LEFT NAPLES ON MARCH 29, 1945, AND ARRIVED IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ON APRIL 9, 1945, THUS MARKING THE END OF HIS FOREIGN SERVICE. HE WAS AWARDED THE FOLLOWING: THE AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL FOR HIS ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 8, 1939 AND DECEMBER 7, 1941; AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL FOR HIS SERVICE OUTSIDE THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES BETWEEN DECEMBER 7, 1941 AND MARCH 2, 1946; EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL FOR HIS SERVICE IN THAT THEATER OF OPERATIONS BETWEEN DECEMBER 7, 1941 AND NOVEMBER 8, 1945; SIX BRONZE SERVICE STARS AND ONE SILVER SERVICE STAR (EQUALING FIVE BRONZE SERVICE STARS) FOR PLACEMENT ON THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, REPRESENTING HIS SERVICE IN 11 OPERATIONS WITHIN THAT CAMPAIGN; AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL FOR HIS SERVICE BETWEEN DECEMBER 7, 1941 AND DECEMBER 31, 1946.