MERIDIAN — Bosque County Collection will honor veterans of World War II and Pearl Harbor on Friday, Dec. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

After a short program honoring Pearl Harbor survivors and WWII veterans, refreshments will be served.

One of the many local veterans of World War II is W.D. Nuckols of Clifton. The following historical information was recently received from Gloria Hewlett, author of Bosque County Armed Forces Veterans, Vol. 1. Hewlett is planning on attending the memorial program at the collection.

Lt. William Denzel Nuckols

Served Aboard The Eisele De 34 In WWII

W.D. Nuckols, the son of William Duke and Florence McCabe Nuckols, was born Jan. 8, 1916, in Whitney. He graduated from Clifton High School in 1931 and later earned a degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University.

He was inducted into military service in Dallas, and immediately sent to Cornell University at Ithaca, N.Y., where he spent six weeks in Navy Indoctrination. The remainder of the time at Cornell was spent in diesel engineering school. He was commissioned Lt. J.G. in 1942.

From Cornell, Nuckols was sent to the New York Naval Shipyard where he studied General Motors diesel engines. From there he was sent to Cleveland, where he received training in anti-submarine warfare.

Upon completion of school in Cleveland, he was assigned a ship in Norfolk, Va., where he assisted in organizing a crew. Nuckols left San Francisco aboard the Eisele De 34 in October 1943. He remained aboard this ship from October 1943 to November 1945. During this time he was the assistant engineer officer and chief engineer.

Nuckols participated in the invasion of Okinawa and remembers a Kami Kaze attack that occurred early one morning. During the attack, Japanese pilots were less than 50-feet away. None of their bullets hit the Eisele De 34 and the ship continued on shore patrol until it returned to Everett, Wash.

Nuckols was discharged in 1945, and continued to serve in the Navy Reserves until 1953. Lt. Nuckols’ awards included the Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon with two battle stars.

W.D. Nuckols and Olena Townley were married on July 3, 1938. Their family includes a daughter, Virginia Sue, and a son, James William, and four grandchildren.

Upon Nuckols’ return to the United States in 1945, he resumed employment with Texas-New Mexico Power Company. He retired after 43 years serving as an engineer.

Nuckols continues to live in Clifton where he is an active member of the Clifton Lions Club.

For information on the program and the collection, contact Ruth Crawford at (245) 453-6182.