Richard A. Nichols was born on November 10, 1947, in Point Pleasant, NJ, to Marilyn and Raymond Nichols. His father died in 1963. His home of record is Point Pleasant, NJ. He had two sisters, Marilyn and Patricia, and one brother, James. Richard attended elementary school in Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach High School.

Nichols began serving in the US Army in the summer of 1967, and completed electrical training at Fort Belvoir, VA, before going to Vietnam in April 28, 1968. He attained the rank of Specialist 4 (SP4).

Assigned to the US Army’s 1st Signal Brigade as a power generation equipment mechanic, Nichols was working on electric wires at an Air Force base near Saigon on Thursday, November 21, 1968, when he was accidentally electrocuted.

Nichols was buried in St. Catharine’s Cemetery, Sea Girt, following a funeral Mass at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Point Pleasant Beach.

According to military records, the mission of the 1st Signal Brigade, activated on April 1, 1966, in the Republic of Vietnam, was one of the most complicated ever given to any single unit in the history of warfare: to originate, install, operate, and maintain an incredible, complex communication system that fused tactical and strategic communications in Southeast Asia into a single, unified command.

American flags were displayed from homes and businesses throughout Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach on December 6, 1968, during the funeral of a native son. The flag display to honor the dead soldier on the day of his funeral was initiated by Point Pleasant Mayor Howard J. Devaney, Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Walter E. Brown and the Greater Point Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce.

Information provided by Anne M. Cullen (volunteer) and NJVVMF, Photo from VVMF.
12/17/2024