SSG Norman Edward Nuckols

Norman as a Corporal

SSG Norman Edward Nuckols was born 29 Mar 1918 in Hanover County, Virginia. He was the 7th of 10 children born to Martin Lilburn and Mary Elizabeth (Atkisson) Nuckols. His father farmed. Norman was able to complete high school and in 1941 was working as a gas station attendant.

Norman was drafted in April 1941. In accordance with policy at that time he was apparently sent to Fort Meade, Maryland and assigned to the 116th Infantry and at some point to Headquarters 3rd Battalion 116th Infantry. He would have then trained with the unit at Fort Meade and Camp Blanding, Florida before shipping out for England aboard the Queen Mary in September 1942. Once in England he would have trained for the amphibious assault that would be part of the liberation of occupied Europe. That he had attained the rank of SSG by June 1944 without military experience prior to being drafted shows how much trust and confidence his officers had in him. SSG Norman was on the landing craft with Battalion Commander, LTC Meeks, when it hit a mine and sank. The unit morning report correctly reports he was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944 but the entry was made on 9 Jun 1944 and this has been misidentified as the date of death even in some official records.

SSG Nuckols was repatriated in 1948 and re-interred in Woodland Cemetery in Ashland, Virginia.

Brothers also served. Forrest Gray Nuckols served in the Army Air Corps from January 1942. Clyde Dempsey Nuckols served in the Navy 1943-1945.