Korean War Vet Honored With Service Medals
Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School celebrated Flag Day with a surprise ceremony held to honor distinguished Korean War Marine Corps veteran and Pocasset resident George Nixon.
The ceremony was held on UCT’s campus Wednesday morning, June 14, which was also the eve of Mr. Nixon’s 90th birthday. A news release for the event said that despite serving the nation with “valor and dedication during the Korean War,” Mr. Nixon, a lifelong Massachusetts resident, had never received the medals he earned during his service in Korea between 1951 and 1954.
That all changed Wednesday morning when, thanks to some covert planning, Mr. Nixon arrived at UCT expecting an award and instead was met by his family, service members and fellow veterans, school staff, local officials, and an entire honorary ceremony, all celebrating him.
The ceremony was moderated by Adam Gunn, veteran agent for the Town of Abington, who explained that he first met Mr. Nixon last year at a Veterans Day ceremony at the elementary school his daughter and Mr. Nixon’s great-granddaughter both attend.
“I learned that he was a proud Marine, although most are,” Mr. Gunn said, “and he also served in the Korean War. You just don’t hear that very often.”
Mr. Gunn said he walked away from that first encounter with a nagging thought: “This Marine didn’t get the medals that he earned in the Corps.” But with the help of UCT’s Nolan Leroy, Colonel Nicole Ivers of the Air Force’s 102nd Intelligence Wing and Mr. Nixon’s family, that wrong was righted.
During the honorary speech, Mr. Gunn said Mr. Nixon was a message center chief assigned to the 1st Engineer Battalion for the 1st Marine Division. For his service, Mr. Nixon was presented with the following: the Navy Presidential Unit Citation, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal with two stars and the United Nations Service Medal.
The medals were presented in a commemorative shadow box built by now-graduated seniors in UCT’s carpentry program, along with a short-sleeved khaki sergeant shirt, special Marine Corps patches and collar insignia devices, and a photograph of a young Mr. Nixon on the ground in Korea with a plaque reading “Sergeant George Nixon, US Marine, Korean War, February 17, 1951 to February 19, 1954.”
The shadow box also holds a folded flag given to Mr. Nixon; the flag was flown in his honor over the USS Massachusetts (BB-59) at Battleship Cove in Fall River last year and, more recently, flown by the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mr. Nixon was gifted photographs depicting both instances, plus a signed team photograph of the Patriots.
Mr. Nixon also received the Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal, which is bestowed upon Korean War veterans who served in country by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea. The medal, said to represent the gratitude of the people of Korea, was hung around his neck by his son, Peter Nixon.
The veteran was honored in speeches given by his son, Chris Nixon, and state Representative Steven G. Xiarhos (R-5th Barnstable). Rep. Xiarhos spoke about his son Nicholas, a Marine killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009.
“When you lose your son, it’s just devastating,” he said, “but on days like today, the pride outweighs the sadness. We see the beautiful American flag on Flag Day [and] we see this incredible Marine…once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper fidelis, sir.”
In a speech about his father, Chris Nixon spoke about what it was like to be raised by a Marine, joking that even though he was not a career Marine, “fun dad and Marine dad were just a couple heartbeats away.”
Chris explained that he works in shipping and often does business in Korea. On one occasion, he told a friend there that his dad served in Korea and was met with utter surprise.
“His eyes got really big,” Chris said, “it was kinda like saying my dad fought in the American Revolution to him. He was just like, ‘Wow.’”
On behalf of both his friends in South Korea, Chris thanked his father for his service and, on behalf of his family, for being a great father.
Mr. Nixon, in turn, thanked everyone for honoring him and expressed his appreciation to all who attended. He did, however, render a jestful promise in response to the surprise of it all.
“To my family,” he said, “I will get even.”