A March 4, 1943, Lowell Tribune article (page 2, column 2) said that Junior Nichols had been transferred from Fort Benjamin Harrison to Lincoln, Nebraska, for basic training.
This July 20, 1944, Lowell Tribune article appeared on page 4, column 3:
Receives Official Recognition
15th AAF in Italy -- Sgt. Bernard Nichols, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Nichols of Lowell, has received official recognition in orders, it was announced by 15 AAF headquarters.
In the words of the citation which accompanied the award of the good conduct medal, Sgt. Nichols' work has "demonstrated fidelity through faithful and exact performance of duty, efficiency through capacity to produce desired results." It also mentions that his "behavior has been such as to deserve emulation."
Sgt. Nichols is stationed in Italy with a 15th AAF Liberator bombardment group commanded by Col. Horace D. Aylesworth of Childress, Texas. Serving as an electrician, Sgt. Nichols is a member of a group which has seen action in the Italian campaign for more than six months and has participated in repeated aerial assaults against Ploesti, Vienna, Steyr, Toulon and other strategic targets in the network of German industrial centers throughout southern Europe.
Sgt. Nichols graduated in 1940 from Lowell high school and was formerly employed by Harold Sorenson of Lowell. He entered the service on Dec. 21, 1943, and attended A.M. and electrical schools prior to coming overseas.
The following October 19, 1944, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 4 column 2:
Sgt. Bernard Nichols Serving As Airforce Electrician
15th AAF in Italy -- The work that keeps the mighty Liberator bombers of the 15th army air force flying continues both day and night. Sgt. Bernard Nichols, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Nichols, Lowell, repairs one of the 70 amp "put-puts" that supply the light for the evening's bomb-loading, refueling, or engine repair that ready the ship for the next day's bombing mission against strategic targets in central and southern Europe. Serving as an electrician with a 15th AAF Liberator bombardment group stationed in Italy, Sgt. Nichols, a graduate of Lowell high school entered the service in December, 1943.
This August 16, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 1:
Cpl. Bernard Nichols, Jr., is here visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Nichols, Sr., having just recently returned from overseas duty.
This June 27, 1945, Lowell Tribune article was found on page 2, column 2:
Sgt. Bernard Nichols, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Nichols, east of Lowell, received his discharge from the army air forces last week. Junior, a shop man with the ground crew, spent all his overseas service in Italy.
The following article from an unknown source can be found in the Local History Files at Lowell Public Library (LH--Vital Statistics, vol. 2, page 49):
Bernard Junior Nichols, age 68, of Lowell, passed away Thurs., Feb. 15, 1990. He is survived by his wife, Mary Nichols; three sons, Donald (Nancy) Nichols, and George (Deborah) Nichols, both of Lowell, and Seth Nichols of Hebron; one daughter, Teresa (Warren) Smith of Huntsville, Mo.; two grandchildren; three great grandchildren; two step-granddaughters, and two sisters, Florence Kidder of Elkhart and Mabel (Harold) Reeves of Lowell. He was preceded in death by one brother and one sister. Funeral services were conducted at 11 a.m. Feb. 19 from Sheets Funeral Home, Lowell, with Rev. John K. Wortinger officiating. Burial followed at Lowell Memorial Cemetery. Bernard Nichols was engaged in farming and excavating, and also worked as a machinist. He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army, a member of American Legion Post 101 of Lowell, and a member and post surgeon for VFW Post 6841 in Lowell.
