SGM John A. Nicolai

The funeral mass for Sergeant Major John A. Nicolai will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2009, at St. Arnold’s Catholic Church with Father Leonard Loegering officiating. Visitation will be at the church on Monday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with a prayer service to follow. The burial will be at Calvary Cemetery near Milnor, North Dakota.

John Anthony Nicolai, son of Edward and Bernadine (Glynn) Nicolai was born on March 18, 1946 at Oakes, North Dakota. He attended school at St. Aloysius School in Lisbon, North Dakota, until the fourth grade, when he transferred to the Milnor Public School. John graduated from Milnor High School in 1964.

Sergeant Major Nicolai entered the US Army in June 1964 and completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He completed advanced individual training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, as a Medical Corpsman. After serving as a Medic at Fort Hood, Texas, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, he separated from the US Army in 1968. He re-entered the US Army in November 1970, and again served as a medic at the Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station, Fargo, North Dakota, and the US Army Medical Department Activity-Korea. His request for reclassification as legal specialist was approved in 1974, and he was assigned in that capacity as the NCOIC, Criminal Law Division, US Army Air Defense Center and Fort Bliss, Texas; Clerk of Court, 3rd Judicial Circuit, Fort Bliss, Texas; NCOIC Administrative Law Division, 8th Infantry Division, Germany; Chief Legal NCO, 7th Medical Command, Germany; Chief Legal NCO, US Army Garrison, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Chief Legal NCO, 8th Infantry Division, Germany; and most recently as Chief Legal NCO, I Corps, Fort Lewis, Washington.

He is a graduate of the Sergeants Major Academy, Class 32, and has completed the Legal Advanced NCO Course and the US Air Force Advanced Legal Course. He has an Associate of Arts Degree from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

His awards include four Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, and the Army Achievement Medal.

On April 1, 1992, Sergeant Major Nicolai assumed the position as Sergeant Major, the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, and is the sixth sergeant major to hold this position.

After his retirement, he spent part of his time in Milnor, North Dakota, and in Tacoma, Washington.

At 63 years of age, John passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2009, at the VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He is survived by his wife Kathleen; three daughters, Christine, Monika, and Catherine; two brothers, Richard (Patricia) Nicolai, Austin, MN, and Gerald (Betty) Nicolai, Milnor, ND; four sisters, Mary Lu (James) Prante, Milnor, ND, Eileen (James) Wilson, Locust Grove, VA, Kathleen (Jack) Rasmussen, Milnor, ND, and Dorothea (Orville) Erickson, Forman, ND. John was preceded in death by his parents, an infant brother, Joseph, one brother, Vincent Nicolai, and two sisters, Frances Kosbab and Sister Vincent (Marjorie).

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the JAGC Retired NCO Association. http://jagcrncoa.org/

An on-line guestbook may be signed at www.dahlstromfuneralhome.com