John W. Nicholson

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John William Nicholson Sr.
Born (1934-02-22) February 22, 1934 (age 90)
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1956–1986
Battles/warsVietnam War

John William "Jack" Nicholson Sr. (born February 22, 1934)[1] is an American retired Brigadier General of the United States Army who was appointed secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) by President George W. Bush in January 2005.[2]

Biography[edit]

Prior to this appointment, he served as Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs, where he directed the National Cemetery Administration.

Born and raised in Iowa,[1] he is a 1956 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he received the General MacArthur Leadership Award for his class, and holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania.[3] He is an airborne ranger combat infantryman and served two and one-half years with infantry units in Vietnam. Other overseas assignments during his 30-year Army career included duty in Germany, Korea, Lebanon and Switzerland. Recommended for a Silver Star for action in Vietnam, the award was approved in 2009.[4]

He currently serves on the board of advisors of the Code of Support Foundation, a nonprofit military service organization.[5]

He is the brother of Jim Nicholson, a former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Chair of the Republican National Committee. His son John W. Nicholson Jr. is a 1982 graduate of West Point and was the U.S. Army general in charge of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan for more than 2 years. Nicholson Sr. and his wife Sophie have five children and thirteen grandchildren.[3]

Silver Star action[edit]

"On Dec. 27, 1963, then Maj. Nicholson was serving as an advisor to the South Vietnamese Regional Forces and South Vietnamese Popular Force. During an eight-hour battle, their force was reduced from 200 to 40, and Nicholson directed friendly fire and mortar fire to help evacuate 13 wounded soldiers through enemy territory."[4]

Awards and decorations[edit]

Combat Infantryman Badge
Senior Parachutist Badge
Ranger tab
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Army Staff Identification Badge
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Combat Service Identification Badge
503rd Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
Vietnamese Parachutist Badge
 ? Overseas Service Bars
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star
Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with one bronze oak leaf cluster
Width-44 scarlet ribbon with width-4 ultramarine blue stripe at center, surrounded by width-1 white stripes. Width-1 white stripes are at the edges. Bronze Star Medal with "V" device and three oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with V Device and bronze award numeral 48
Army Commendation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Bronze star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with one bronze service star
Vietnam Service Medal with two service stars
Korea Defense Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon
Vietnam Army Distinguished Service Order, 2nd class
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with two palms
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Vietnam Campaign Medal

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b U.S. Army Register: United States Army Active and Retired Lists. Vol. I. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1 January 1957. p. 633. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Former Directors & Under Secretaries for Memorial Affairs, 1973-2011". United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  3. ^ a b "BGEN Jack Nicholson, USA (Ret.)". The Institute of World Politics. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b McVeigh, Alex (30 October 2009). "Soldier gets Silver Star 45 years after wartime action". The Pentagram. Arlington, Virginia: The Pentagon. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  5. ^ "Code of Support Foundation advisory board". codeofsupportfoundation.org. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2017.