Faces Bio

Nikolai Kiatkin was born on November 22, 1947, to Gleb and Natalie Tomachinsky Kiatkin.  His home of record is Buena, NJ.  He had one brother, Paul.  Nikolai graduated from Vineland High School in 1966. 

Kiatkin served in the US Army and attained the rank of Specialist 4 (SP4).

Kiatkin was killed in action on March 19, 1968.  Kiatkin was awarded the Purple Heart.

Nikolai Kiatkin was born on November 22, 1947, in Munich, Germany, where his parents lived in a Displaced Persons Camp for the Russian refugees after WWII. 

In 1952, we immigrated to the USA and settled in Philadelphia, PA, where my sister and my mother had lived since 1950.  They really helped us a lot.  Mother watched the children, taught them how to speak, write and read Russian, told them many interesting stories about the past, etc. 

Nikolai attended Cooks Public School and later Dobbins Vocational Technical School, where he studied architecture.  He was also a scout, served as an altar boy at the Orthodox Church of St. Michael in North Philadelphia.           

In 1964, the family moved to Buena, NJ.  Nikolai attended Vineland High School.  He graduated in 1966 and enlisted in the US Army.  He was stationed at Fort Dix, NJ, and in 1967, was sent to Fort Meade, TX, from where he was shipped to Vietnam and we never saw him alive again.

On March 19, 1968, Nikolai Kiatkin died in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, and was buried at the Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, NJ.

Written by Natalie Darkin, Mother
May 5, 2004

Sources: Natalie Darkin (mother) and NJVVMF.