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Post Info TOPIC: My Uncle...James C. Nichols
floridaboy


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My Uncle...James C. Nichols
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Webmasters note - "This post is unfortunately in the wrong section - I'll either remove it or move it (if possible) in a few days. If the author could repost it in the guestbook section that would be great. Please don't comment here on it."

The first time I realized my Uncle Jay was on the Indy was when I was around 23 yers old (I'm 40 now). I'll never forget the conversation we had, I remember it like it was yesterday, and he's only talked about the incident to me that one and only time. Here's how it went...We had just finished eating another one of my Aunt Mary's wonderful meals one evening at their house in Clearwater, FL and Jay and I were talking about going fishing the next day. I remember saying to Jay, "Uncle Jay, let's go deep sea fishing tomorrow because we always fish off the pier or the beach and I want to catch a lot of fish and I know the charter fishermen can put us on some fish." Jay said "No" without any explanation. Well, that wasn't good enough for me so I continued to prod him about going out to sea to fish, but he kept saying "No" until I think I started begging him to tell me why not. He stopped drinking his tea for a moment and leaned back in his chair and then looked deep into my eyes and said "I'll tell you why." He started from the beginning when he said he joined the Navy and was assigned to the Indy and that they had just finished delivering the components of the first atomic bomb to an island near Japan. He said they didn't stay there long and were soon heading toward to the south pacific to another island for some training exercises. He said he had just finished his shift and was down below deck shaving when the whole boat rocked him off his feet. He said the lights went out and he could feel the boat starting to list to one side and he knew he'd better get the heck out of there, and fast. He said he made it to the top deck and that guys were jumping into the water and the thought of having to do this scared him to death. You see, not only was it a pretty good piece down to the water, but my beloved Jay didn't know how to swim (and still doesn't), so he wasn't to thrilled about being in between a rock and a hard place. He said he jumped in and frantically started to kick and move his arms as fast as he could to keep from drowning. He said he found some stuff floating on the surface to cling to and eventually ended up on one of those floater nets for the remainder of the ordeal. He talked about how the sharks would swim by and when he told me this he showed me how he would pick up his knees as high as he could in order to get his legs out of the water as far as he could. Then he said when the sharks would swim by he would talk at them and say "get him" or "get them" in a joking way (he actually laughed a little bit when he said that). Well, after a short question and answer session between us, he got up from the table and went to his bedroom and took a shower. After he left the room my Aunt Mary leaned over toward me and whispered "That was only the second time in her life she ever heard Jay talk about the incident." I felt pretty darn special after that, especially when my mom said he never talked about it with her and that she never really knew what happened to Jay at sea, but that she thought something bad had happened. I must say that after that conversation I totally understood why he didn't want to go out to sea and I've never asked him to do such a thing since. My Uncle Jay never had any children, but he always treated me like I was his own and I'll always love him for that. Jay is my hero. He is the hardest working man I've ever known (he'd work from sun-up to sun-down), never drank or smoked, and lived his life like a good man would do. Jay is 81 now and his heart is wearing out, along with his back, so I don't now how much longer he'll be on this earth, but I feel very lucky and blessed to have him as my uncle. He had a hard life, but he made the most of it. He's been married to my Aunt Marry for 50+ years and he made a good living working for Ford Motor Co. and as a roofer in the Tampa area. He now lives in Tenn. and has a beautiful home with a fishing pond out back. He takes care of stray cats when he's not working in his garden or beautifully manicured yard. Like I said earlier...He's my hero and a man I've always looked up to. God bless you J.C.

Sincerely,

Blake    

-- Edited by Webmaster at 10:49, 2007-08-06

-- Edited by Webmaster at 10:50, 2007-08-06

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dkf


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What a innocent way to find out what happened. I just found out this morning while watching the Discovery Channel's "Ocean of Fear", what happened to all those guys and I think I remember which gentleman was your Uncle. My heart ached for all of them. The poor guy that got bitten and survived, was it your Uncle that allowed him to rejoin the group and wrap his hand?

What a tremendous testimony to talk about, but a tragedy to have to live through.

I think sometimes we put things in the back of our minds because they are too painful to discuss and you are blessed that your Uncle was able and willing to tell you. It probably helped him as well.

From the interviews I could tell there were physically and emotional scars. I'm so glad to here your Uncle is well and is up here near the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is a place that I feel closest to God and perhaps he does too.

Kitties always help!

God Bless all.

Sincerely,
Debbie



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Amy Perkins Scott


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My name is Amy Perkins Scott. I interviewed Mr. JC Nichols for an oral history class I took at the University of Memphis in 2000. For reasons beyond my control (but with the help of a few people in the history department) I was able to give Mr. Nichols a bound copy of the interview just this weekend. (Well, I live in Tampa now, so my sister, Aby, actually gave it to him smile.gif She said he and his wife Mary were quite thrilled. It is an account of his life, including the time he spent on the Indy. There is also a copy in the U of M library. The history department is also putting together a website of WWII veterans' stories of their time spent during the war. I was told they would be using a large excerpt from my interview with Mr. Nichols on the site. I have no time frame as to when this will be up and running, but I will keep checking and let you know.

I feel very blessed to know both JC and Mary. They are wonderful people. This country can learn from what the men and women who served WWII went through. They experienced such extreme conditions, trauma, and hardships, but came home to start successful lives and families and built this country into what it is today. They expected nothing in return except the freedom and rights they fought to protect. There will never be another generation like them. My love, admiration, thanks, and prayers go out to them all.

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dkf


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Hi Amy:

What a blessing he Mr. Nichols and his wife were able to get a copy of the book. What is the title of the book?

I would be interested in reading it, as I'm sure many others would too.

So you know if there is other literature on the USS Indy?

Sincerely,
dkf

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