The Guy Behind The Curtain: Service As An Engineer And As A Volunteer With the Alumni Glee Club

Chuck Nichols became interested in attending West Point through participation in Junior ROTC, and through mentorship from Larry Smith (USMA ’62). After graduating from West Point and commissioning as an Engineer, he was stationed in Germany, where he commanded A Company, 237th Engineer Battalion. At that time, young Lieutenants were taking company command because the Captains were all being sent to Vietnam. In Germany, he learned to “rely on people with experience.” From 1968 to 1969, he served in Vietnam with A Company, 65th Engineer Battalion in the 25th Infantry Division. While in Vietnam, he operated as a Combat Engineer and Battalion Maintenance Officer near Cu Chi, Tay Ninh, and Nui Bai Den. He describes laying a road between two villages, and when the mission was complete, the people from both villages came out and fed his troops. He learned that “water was a critical resource,” and at one point, he built a cistern to catch runoff. He describes experiences repairing a road that had been cratered and executing route clearance missions with “fantastic troops.” After Vietnam, Chuck earned a Masters’ Degree in Structural Engineering from UCLA (1970-1971), he met and married his wife (1970), and they had adventures in England (where he was part of a Bridging Study Team), Germany, and the United States. After 27 years of service, he retired in 1992. He began attending Class of ’65 Reunions for the 45th Reunion and has been to every one since then. He also is very involved with the Alumni Glee Club and is their executive producer, handling much of the technical side of the house. Reflecting on West Point, he notes the Academy “made me the person I am today.” He remains “willing to be involved,” and he wants to “be able to give back.”