By Rickey Robertson
As Memorial Day 2025 approaches, we need to take time to honor and remember our American servicemen and servicewomen who have paid the ultimate price to preserve our freedom. One American hero who we are remembering is Marine PFC. Paul R. Nicholas Jr. of Leesville, Louisiana. Paul Nicholas was the first service member from Vernon Parish who was killed in action during the Vietnam War.
Paul was a hometown boy of Leesville who grew up with other children in town. Paul lived with his grandmother, Mrs. E.C. Nicholas. As Nick Pollacia described Paul to me, he said, “Paul had such a great personality that you just had to like him.” Paul worked on the weekend and during the summers at Mr. Pollacia’s shoe shop in Leesville and as Nick stated, “He was just like part of the family.” As Paul entered high school, he was a great athlete, and during his senior year at Leesville High in 1963/1964, the Wampus Cats had a powerful football team. As the Wampus Cats’ halfback, Paul was voted the most valuable offensive player on the team, plus he won All District and All Southwest athletic distinction.
Paul was elected Mr. Leesville High School and Most Handsome during his graduating year of 1964, and was in the “L” Club, Science Club, Library Club, 4-H Club, and the chorus. I spoke with Jo Ann Pollacia Willis about Paul. She dated Paul off and on during high school and was “Paul’s sweetheart,” and she remembered that even though well-known, he treated everyone with great respect. The local VFW Post allowed teenagers to use one of the rooms for a “Teen Club.” Each Saturday night teens would gather at the Teen Club to dance and listen to music while being chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs. Pollacia. Paul could play the guitar and even the piano, plus he was a great singer, and with a jukebox in the club room, the teens would dance, laugh, sing, and have a great time together. Paul made friends very easily, and if he noticed a girl standing around without a date or anyone to dance with, he would go and ask for the next dance so they could have a good time, too.
After graduating from Leesville High, Paul had an athletic scholarship to play football for the Northwestern State College Demons. However, Paul was red shirted and could not play his first year. He began to lose his enthusiasm for football. While at NSC he also was in the ROTC program. Liking music, Paul and his friend, Glen Norris, traveled to Pasadena, Texas, to stay with Paul’s brother, Mitch, as they prepared to try and start a band. But this never came about, and Paul and Glen joined the United States Marine Corps in Pasadena, Texas. They were sent to boot camp and were in the same training platoon. The training was tough, but these two former high school athletes had no trouble with it.
Paul was born on November 6, 1945, and he flew out for duty in the Republic of South Vietnam on November 5, 1966. Paul wrote to Jo Ann and told her he was going to celebrate his 21st birthday, but as his flight crossed the International Date Line, he lost a day! He did not get to celebrate his birthday on November 6, 1966. Paul arrived in Vietnam shortly before Thanksgiving and was assigned to the 1st Platoon, C Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division as a combat rifleman. Paul would write to his friends, and especially Jo Ann, that he made friends with a little Vietnamese boy named Loci. Paul wanted to adopt Loci and bring him back home with him. Paul had written that his unit had a Christmas Party at Dong Ha where they were stationed, and he had played the guitar and sang for everyone. On January 14, 1967, Paul’s unit was assigned a patrol to conduct reconnaissance for snipers in the area of Quang Tri Province. Paul was walking point on this patrol, and a sniper fired and struck Paul in the neck just below his ear. Medics tried to save him, but before the Medevac chopper arrived, Paul was gone. Paul was the first Vernon Parish serviceman to be killed in the Vietnam War.
A day or so later, Mitch, Paul’s brother in Pasadena, contacted Jo Ann and the local folks here in Leesville that Paul had been killed. It was a terrible shock to everyone. Paul’s remains were sent home to Leesville, and funeral services were conducted at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. He was then interred in the Leesville Cemetery. Paul‘s body had been escorted from Vietnam by Marine Billy Sims of DeRidder, Louisiana. U.S. Marines carried the flag-draped casket to the cemetery through an Honor Guard of NSC ROTC Cadets, with the U.S. Army providing the firing party. Many of the local folks, school mates, friends, and others attended to honor and remember their friend.
Paul’s name is located on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. on panel 14E line 29. His name is listed with over 58,000 American servicemen and women killed while serving our nation in Vietnam.
Paul was remembered again when State Representative James Armes had part of U.S. Hwy 171 denoted as the Paul R. Nicholas Jr. Memorial Highway through the Louisiana Legislature. On October 22, 2017, a special dedication for the sign denoting this section of U.S. Hwy 171 was now to be known as the Paul R. Nicholas Jr. Memorial Highway. This was a very well-attended gathering of family, friends, and schoolmates of Paul Nicholas that showed how folks in Leesville and Vernon Parish cared for this native son who died in the service of his nation.
On Memorial Day 2025, please stop and remember our heroes, such as Paul R. Nicholas Jr., who gave their lives in the defense of our precious freedoms. Long may our heroes be remembered. Truly, America is the land of the free and the home of the brave!