Roy John Nickila
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
NICKILA, Roy John
Roy John Nickila was born on July 13th 1922 to Hjalmer J & Jenny S [Sillemon] Nikkila in Ironwood, Michigan.
Mr. Nickila entered the U.S. Army in March of 1943.
He was an infantryman in Company A in the 27th Battalion of the 9th Armored Division in the European Theater. He rose to the rank of Corporal (CPL).
He attached to 9th Army near St. Vith, Belgium, in a "holding pattern until the Battle of the Bulge progressed. We moved about in the Malmedy area and, during the thick of battle, I was captured Dec. 19, 1944 on the outskirts of Malmedy. I suffered a bullet wound in the left arm while taken prisoner. The German SS troops marched us to Gerolstein, Germany to a hospital.
On Christmas day, in the A.M. an allied bomber heading for Berlin dropped a stray bomb which made a direct hit on the hospital. I survived that incident but there were many casualties.
After that, we marched from camp to camp, freezing my feet and hands along the way. I came down with diphtheria at Linberg, Germany. I spent the rest of the time at Bad Orb and was liberated May 15, 1945."
He was discharged in November of 1945.
Source(s):
Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 220.
Albert J. Amatuzio Research Center | Veterans Memorial Hall (vets-hall.org)
