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Harry Nuce
Harry was born on February 17, 1920. He grew up on a farm and learned to work hard at an early age. In high school he enjoyed such activities as playing the trumpet and spending extra hours in the chemistry lab. It was at this time that he learned one of his most important life lessons: study. Study hard and study ahead. He realized that if he went in prepared for class that he would always be ahead of what the teacher was talking about. This was an effective plan since Harry not only graduated high school and college, but became an engineer who managed projects for NASA's Skylab program. When Harry visits schools, he likes to tell students about his "study" philosophy, hoping this might help them succeed too. During World War II, Harry had many duties. Prior to the outbreak of the war, he had belonged to ROTC, doing both riflery and playing the bugle. During the war he was a part of the Army Air Corps, where he worked with radar development. He flew bombing raids in the Pacific and was later assigned to a field artillery unit. Remembering these times enables Harry to paint pictures with his words. When he talks about his active duty in the Philippines, one can almost see the Manila Islands spread out below as Harry walked up five stories to the top of a pagoda overlooking a shimmering bay surrounded by a Chinese cemetery painted in all different colors. One can picture him smiling at a nine year old girl proudly showing off a treasured long dress. One can feel as Harry felt riding in his Jeep, trading containers of fat or lard to the Philppinos in a barrio for fresh fruit, and later hauling bananas back to his unit. One can hear him speak Castillian Spanish to a Philippino mother and her family. When he speaks of his artillery unit firing at the Japanese soldiers, one gets the feeling of how far the shells could travel. "It would be the distance from Littleton to Denver or even Boulder. They could travel over 25 miles accurately." Harry earned many medals and citations during the war including the Presidential Citation for the 380th Bomb Group and the 983rd Field Artillery; the World War II Victory Medal and more. After the war, he came back and raised a family which includes four children and two grandchildren. He worked as an engineer for Westinghouse, Lockheed, Martin Marietta, and the National Park Service. As Harry thinks back on his experiences during World War II and compares them to his feelings at the time of the World Trade Center bombing, he feels that they are very much the same. He says that the Japanese who bombed Pearl Harbor had the same kind of attitude as the terrorists who bombed the towers. "No regard for human life." There are so many more tales and remembrances that Harry has that are worth hearing and I am sure that he will keep adding to this list as years go on. Harry's life experiences prove he is a devoted and true American.
More Biographies:
Send comments about the Memories of WWII pages to Phyllis Larison |
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| Last page update: March 2, 2008 12:14 PM |
Harry
Nuce is a man of words, actions and accomplishments. After interviewing
him I could tell he has had a very full life and his experiences have
lead him down many paths. Growing up on a farm, going off to war, seeing
different lands, attending college, raising a family and working in a
field he loved has made up this busy life. All these paths that he has
traveled have connected and he has been able to draw upon one and add
it to another.