Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward MageeNews.com a small commission – at no extra cost to you.
PLEASE NOTE THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO LINE THE ROADS ALONG THE ROUTE FROM THE AIRPORT TO MENDENHALL ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5
Sue Note: When I read this press release, I was overcome with joy and sadness for the Nichols family. Finally, Harvey Andrew Nichols will be laid to rest. Harvey was taken prisoner of war in 1941. He was buried in a Common Grave 717 in 1942. Through DNA, Nichols’ remains were identified and will be returned to Mendenhall on Thursday, September 5th. We as Americans need to line the route from the airport. We need to stand tall for a young man who stood tall for our liberties. Please share this information…and tell your neighbor. Prayers for the family.
(Jackson, MS, Aug. 28, 2019) — Private First Class, Harvey Andrew Nichols, United States Army, born April 5, 1915 – died November 19, 1942 and being laid to rest September 7, 2019 –
77 years later.
Harvey was born to Mattie and Andrew Nichols of Braxton, MS. Harvey joined the Army January 9, 1940 as a member of the 33rd Quartermaster Corps. On December 8, 1941 Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands and intense fighting continued until May 6, 1942 when Corregidor fell. Thousands of US and Filipino Soldiers were taken prisoner, including many who were forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March en-route to the Japanese-operated POW camp and Cabanatuan on the island of Luzon, Philippines. Almost 2,800 of these POWs perished in the camp. On November 19, 1942 thirteen American servicemen and one American civilian died from malnutrition and medical neglect while in the camp hospital. These men were buried in Common Grave 717 in the camp cemetery. PFC Harvey A. Nichols was one of these 14 men who had been captured during the fighting for Corregidor and was officially listed by the Army as MIA on May 7, 1942.
Throughout history the identification of remains was not conducted using the methods or techniques standard for today’s scientific rigor. Starting in the early 2010s, repeated inquiries and legal action initiated by a family member, possibly related to one of the unknowns from Common Grave 717, resulted in several scientific and historical reviews of the assemblage to evaluate the identification potential of the remaining ten Unknowns. In this process, it was noted there was a high likelihood of misidentification of some or all of the original identifications from Common Grave 717 due to commingling. In 2014 the Secretary of the Army granted permission to exhume the ten graves associated with the Cabanatuan Common Grave 717. On August 28, 2014 the remains were accessioned into the laboratory. To date, DNA analyses have shown that each casket contains the remains of an average of three different individuals.
Thanks to this inquiry and modern-day scientific technology, 77 years after his death, Harvey’s remains have been positively identified and sent home to his family.
There is an open invitation from the family for visitation and services for PFC Nichols.
Visitation will be Friday, September 6, 2019 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm at Colonial Chapel of Mendenhall: 3077 Simpson Hwy 13, Mendenhall, MS 39114.
Services will be Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 10:00 am at Calvary Baptist Church: 5110 US Hwy 49, Braxton, MS 39044
Harvey’s awards consist of the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Prisoner of War Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal and Philippine Defense Ribbon.
On Thursday, September 5th, 2019, Harvey Nichols’ remains will fly in to the Jackson-Medger Wiley Evans Airport, Gate 8, scheduled for 12:03PM, and will be escorted to the Colonial Chapel Funeral Home in Mendenhall, MS by law enforcement and the Patriot Guard Riders. All press is welcome for this homecoming at the airport and funeral home.
If you have any questions, please contact the State Captain of the Patriot Guard Riders of MS, Roger Barrett (601) 826-5205.
