Memorial service held for Captain Derek R. Nichols
MARINE
CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C.— A memorial service for a
Canadian Air Force pilot serving with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron
122 was held at the Air Station chapel, July 1.
Captain Derek R. Nichols died June 28 of injuries sustained after
his F/A-18C Hornet crashed while landing aboard Fightertown earlier
that day. Nichols was
returning with VMFA-122 from a North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise, Clean
Hunter 2004, in Denmark. The Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia native was attached to
VMFA-122 since July 2001 under the Marine Corps Foreign Personnel Exchange Program.
Nichols left a deep impression on many of the service members he
served with while in Beaufort and had become part of the Air Station
family, according to
Lt. Col. Mark Wise, commanding officer, VMFA-122.
“(Capt. Nichols) worked in four different squadrons and touched everyone
he met,” said Col. Bob Walsh, commanding officer, Marine Aircraft Group
31. “He and his family were able to become good friends with many Air Station
service members and their families.”
While aboard the Air Station, Nichols bonded with another exchange
pilot, Australian Flt. Lt. Dru “Dusty” Davidson, VMFA-122.
“I was one person who had a unique look into what Derek was like,” Davidson
said. “With both of us being exchange pilots, we had a little in common.
At first we were just the only two foreign pilots aboard the Air Station. After
a while, we became close friends, sharing stories on deployments and working
together. He was the best pilot I have ever been beaten by. It was always okay
when you got beat by (Capt. Nichols), because you knew there was no one capable
of having more fun while flying.”
The service included remarks from many of Nichols’ friends and colleagues
from the Marine Corps and Canadian Air Force along with a moment of silence and
the reading of a poem, “High Flight”
“I cannot put into words the sorrow I have for the family,” said
Lt. Gen. K.R. Pennie, Chief of Staff, Canadian Air Force. “This is not
only a loss for the family, but a loss for the country.”
Nichols is survived by his wife, Deanne and two young children.
“We’ve been like brothers for 28 years and his number one goal has
been to be a good father to his two boys,” said Maj. Peter Earle. “You
can see Derek’s face every time you look at those boys.”