Here is an example, in the form of a biography, of a real "He Man"
who is as humble, gentle, and hugely successful as if everything in life had worked in his favor. The opposite is true. Almost everything fate threw at him worked against him, but, by God's grace, he took that giant pile of negative stones and built a stairway to the top of the pyramid. Jim and I were born in 1930 and when he was on the streets of South Dallas, I lived about ten miles away in Grand Prairie. Of all the men I know, Dr. Jim Nicholson is one of the top 6 or 7 I would want next to me, with his BAR, in a fire fight. He was a Marine's Marine and is a man's man.
Jim, I love you for the Marine lives you saved in Korea, at the risk of your own, and for what you have done with that mountain of negatives. You have built a legend ... and I am proud to call you my friend. Rayburn
Here is Dr. Jim Nicholson's short biography in his own unassuming words.
BORN IN 1930, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DEEP DEPRESSION. FOR YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT LIFE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN DURING THE 1930'S , YOU MUST READ JOHN STEINBECKS NOVELS AND LISTEN TO WOODY GUTHRIE FOLK SONGS ... THERE WERE NO GOVERNMENT SAFETY NETS. THE HUNGER AND HOPELESSNESS SUCKED THE LIFE OUT OF CHILDREN AND WOULDN'T ALLOW THEM TO DREAM ----- MY FATHER LEFT WHEN I WAS THREE TO FIND WORK IN THE OIL FIELDS ------ HE NEVER CAME BACK------. I WAS NEAR - FATALLY ILL WITH MALARIA FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS.
MY MOTHER WAS FORCED TO LEAVE ME WITH MY GRAND PARENTS FOR THE NEXT 9 YEARS. SHE WORKED AS A WAITRESS FOR A DOLLAR A DAY WHILE PAYING A DOLLAR A DAY TO LIVE AT THE SHREVEPORT YWCA. THERE WERE VERY SCANTY TIPS DURING THE DEPRESSION.
WE WERE SHARE CROPPPERS IN THE HEART OF THE NORTH LOUISIANA, RURAL COUNTRY. WE LIVED IN CAST OFF HOUSES AND WERE FORCED TO MOVE AFTER EACH CROP FAILURE. THE STOOP LABOR OF THE DEPRESSION. MY MOTHER, UNBELIEVABLY, MANAGED TO GET A DEGREE FROM A BUSINESS COLLEGE AND GOT A JOB AS A STENOGRAPHER IN DALLAS. SHE SENT FOR ME. WE LANDED IN SOUTH DALLAS IN 1943 AT 1821 HICKORY STREET. IN SOUTH DALLAS, I WAS QUICKLY INTRODUCED TO THE STREET THUGS ... GOT THEIR RESPECT, AND MADE FRIENDS WITH MANY GREAT KIDS. MANY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOLKS ENDED UP IN HUNTSVILLE PRISON.
FORTUNATELY I HAD A STRONG MORAL COMPASS, BUT I WAS STILL A ROOTLESS KID ON THE STREET. I WAS APPARENTLY WELL LIKED AT CITY PARK GRADE SCHOOL, BUT I HAD NEVER HAD ANY "WINS" IN MY LIFE. EVERY BODY NEEDS WINS.
THE SALVATION ARMY HAD A GYM COMPLEX AT ERVAY AND CORINTH STREETS. THEIR VOLUNTARY COACHES (TRUCK DRIVERS FULL-TIME ) SPOTTED ME AND LURED ME INTO THE GYM FOR BASKETBALL AND BOXING.THIS WAS A MAJOR TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE.
THIS SOUTH DALLAS NEIGHBORHOOD FURNISHED OVER HALF OF THE CROZIER TECH BASKETBALL TEAM ----- FUTURE ALL - CITY, ALL STATE ---- ALL CONFERENCE COLLEGE. ALL AMERICA, HALL OF FAME GUYS CAME OUT OF THIS SMALL AREA. THE OLDER BOYS PERSUADED ME TO COME OUT FOR BASKETBALL IN MY SENIOR YEAR. I LETTERED ON A TEAM THAT WON THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TWO OUT OF FIVE YEARS IN THE TOP BRACKET. I WAS BEGINNING TO HAVE A FEW "WINS".
I WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN MY FAMILY TO EVER GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL. I FINISHED NEAR THE BOTTOM OF A CLASS OF 360 DESPITE HAVING BEEN FOUND TO HAVE AN I.Q, OF 148.
I WAS ALMOST LEFT ON THE STREET TOO LONG !
GRADUATION --- NO MONEY --- TELEPHONE LINEMAN ON A TRAVELING LINE GANG IN WEST TEXAS ---- A YEAR AT NORTH TEXAS U.---- WASHING DISHES AND FRY COOK IN A BURGER JOINT ---- CHANGING TRUCK TIRES AT AN ALL NIGHT FILLING STATION
---LITTLE INTEREST IN MY BUSINESS COURSES ---- BROKE --- OUT OF SCHOOL TO WORK FULL TIME AS A TELEPHONE LINEMAN
A LARGE GROUP OF CROZIER TECH BOYS JOINED THE MARINES WHEN THE KOREAN WAR STARTED. OUR BOOT CAMP PLATOON WAS ABOUT HALF FROM DALLAS.----ALMOST ALL FROM CROZIER TECH.WE WERE ABOUT HALF AND HALF MEXICAN AND GRINGO. WE BECAME FRIENDS FOR LIFE. I CHALLENGED THE DRILL INSTRUCTORS THE FIRST NIGHT ----FOUR OF THEM STOMPED ME IN FRONT OF THE OTHER 75 BOOTS AND MADE ME A SQUAD LEADER THE NEXT MORNING ---- I VOLUNTEERED FOR THE INFANTRY. PASSED UP A CHANCE TO GO TO OFFICER'S CANDIDATE SCHOOL. THE BAR (BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE ) IS A KILLING MACHINE. BY CHOICE, I CARRIED ONE THROUGH FIVE MAJOR CAMPAIGNS IN NORTH KOREA. ALMOST NO ONE EVER CARRIES ONE THROUGH MORE THAN ONE CAMPAIGN. (Barmen don't live long. RB) AND YES --- MY GUN KILLED A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I GOT A SILVER STAR FOR GOING INTO THE MIDDLE OF A REGIMENT OF CHINESE TO RETRIEVE A MORTALLY WOUNDED FRIEND ON 22 APRIL 1951. AND I RECEIVED A PURPLE HEART WHILE ON POINT DURING THE ASSAULT ON "THE PUNCHBOWL BATTLE", 2 SEPT 1951 --- FREE HELICOPTER RIDE, FREE SURGERY. FREE I MONTH STAY ON HOSPITAL SHIP.
RETURNED TO COLLEGE. NOW WITH PRE-MED MAJOR --- NO LONGER A SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE --- GOOD GRADES -- MARRIED BUT STILL BROKE --- WORKING ALL NIGHT LOADING FREIGHT ON RED BALL MOTOR FREIGHT DOCK ---- ACCEPTED TO SOUTHWEST MED. SCHOOL, ONE OF THE BEST MED. SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY ----STILL BROKE.
AFTER FURTHER TRAINING AT BAYLOR, PRACTICED FAMILY PRACTICE IN GREENVILLE, TX.
I DELIVERED TWO THOUSAND BABIES IN ADDITION TO RUNNING A VERY LARGE PRACTICE.
RECENTLY RETIRED AFTER 57 YEARS
A BEAUTIFUL WIFE, WANDA, FOUR BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS, EIGHT PERFECT GRAND CHILDREN.
A WONDERFUL LIFE.------IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE THE BE-SAINTED TEACHERS AT CROZIER TECH WHO REFUSED TO GIVE UP ON A STREET KID FROM THE SALVATION ARMY IN SOUTH DALLAS.
THANK YOU FOR TIME
JIM NICHOLSON M.D.
AKA
NICK THE BARMAN
AUTHOR OF THE BOOK: GEORGE -3- SEVENTH MARINES
A brief glimpse through time of a group of young marines
AWARDED THE GOLD MEDAL FOR THE BEST MILITARY HISTORY BOOK WRITTEN IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2014
CAN BE REVIEWED ON AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE, FACEBOOK AND MANY OTHER SITES
OR BY PERSONAL CONTACT
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