Rodney R. Nick, age 91, of Helena

Decorated World War II and Korean War Veteran, Rodney R. Nick, age 91, of Helena, passed away April 12, 2013 in Helena at a local care facility.

Rodney was born to George and Josephine (Masanovich) Nick in a log house without water or electricity on a ranch four miles southeast of East Helena, MT. He was raised with three sisters and two brothers. They attended grade school in a one room log building at Lower Mitchell Gulch; it also had no water or electricity. The school ran from spring to fall since winter isolated the students. Rodney attended Helena High School and in his sophomore year the 1935 earthquake damaged the school and he had to finish his schooling in the railroad coach cars and graduated in 1938.

Rodney’s family had a dairy at that time and when the war broke out they moved to Helena. He was deferred at that time but he wanted to serve his country and enlisted in the Army Air Corp. After going through training and gunnery school, he was assigned to a Combat Flight Crew as a Tail Gunner on a 4 Engine Bomber. The crew went to Topeka, Kansas and picked up their plane, orders and flew to Africa and on to Italy. They were assigned to the 15^th Air Force and 304^th Bomb Wing, 456^th Bomb Group, and 774^th Squadron.  From their new base they would bomb targets all over Europe, he bombed Vienna four times. In the early part of the war they did not have Radar and you had to bomb visually and if your target had a cloud cover you could not drop your bombs; you had to bring your bombs back and land at your base. Even if you got shot at going to your target and coming back, and you may have lost a plane and crew, you did not get credit for the mission. Landing with a full load of bombs was no picnic. Rodney checked out as an aerial photographer so he could get more missions to his credit on a B-24 Liberator. He flew his tour of combat missions, came back to the United States and received an Honorable Discharge from the Army Air Force on October 22, 1945.

Rock Hand had a truck, tractor, and a farm machine dealership and had been calling his home and telling him he wanted Rodney to come work for him. Rodney did go to work for Rock, he worked on everything from trucks, tractors, installed water pumps, light plants, hay baler’s, lawn mowers and he even set up a windmill and was the only one who would climb to the top. The Air Force sent him a telegram signed by President Truman in July of 1950 to report for duty for the Korean War. Rodney was assigned to a Combat Flight Crew on the B-29 Bomber. After a quick refresher course, the crew was flown to an Air Base in Japan. From there, they would fly and bomb Korea; some of these missions were pretty long. He completed another Air Combat Tour and was sent back to the States where he received another Honorable Discharge from the Air Force on August 21, 1951. Rodney also received another Honorable Discharge from the Air Force Reserve with the Rank of Technical Sergeant and a number of Certificates for Valor and Meritorious Service.

Some of the awards and Decorations Rodney received include 2 Air Medals: World War II with three Oak Leaf Clusters and Korean War two Oak Leaf Clusters; two Good Conduct Medals, World War II and Korea; World War II Victory Medal; National Service Medal; European-Middle Eastern Medal; Korean Service medal; U.N. Service medal; one Overseas Bar; and European-African, Middle eastern Ribbons with one Silver Star and one Bronze Star. His battles and campaigns include Rome, Arno, North Apennines, Po Valley, Rhineland, Central Europe, and air combat over the Balkans. Rodney’s group, the 456^th, received two Presidential Citations. His 456^th Bomb Group (H) 304^th Bomb Wing 15^th Air Force had the first 100% bomb strike in the Air Force. They were in the first flight to bomb the famous Ploiesti oil fields. On his crew, three got the Purple Heart and one was killed on his last mission. Rodney completed his tour of Air Combat flying 35 missions as a tail gunner. In his second air combat tour of duty over Korea he flew 30 missions as a gunner on the B-29 Bomber. He was always proud that he was on the crew that flew the B-29 though North Korea and MiG Alley and bombed the bridge on the Yalu River connecting to China.    

After his service to the country, Rodney went back to work for the Rock Hand Dealership; he then went on to a car dealership where he became the Service Manager. After many years there, he went to work for the Montana Highway Department as Chief of Maintenance where he covered the whole state until his retirement.  

Rodney was a Life Member in several organizations including the Montana State Trapshooting Association, Charter Member holding card number 2 and past President; Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA); National Rifle Association of America (Patron); Elks Lodge No. 193, Helena; D.A.D. Chapter Lewis and Clark 3; Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1116; Fort Harrison Museum Foundation; 456^th Bomb Group Association; was Charter Member in the Helena Sharpshooters Club and past President; and he was also a member of the Helena Trap Club and was President numerous times.

Rodney won the Western Montana Outdoor Small Bore Tournament with a score of 999 (84’s) out of a possible 1000. He was instrumental in promoting and building up the Helena Trap Club. When he joined the Helena Trap Club they ordered clay targets from the factory and had them shipped by rail to Helena and then the club would have to transport them to the Trap Club. He arranged with a trucking firm to pick up the targets and deliver them directly to the Trap Club, this was easier and cheaper. He helped to secure more land, build more buildings, water, gas, sewer, more trap houses and ground improvements. He removed the old kiln hand pull traps, and replaced them with electric traps, and installed electrical wiring and put in trailer hookups. While he was President and was putting on the State Tournament Shoot, he started a new way for scoring the hits and missed targets, and all the other clubs followed.

Rodney and a friend of his wrote some rules and they organized and formed The Montana State Trapshooting Assoc. This association now raises a substantial amount of money to give to the Host Club that is putting on the Trap Shoot and is promoting trap shooting. A shooter may win cash trophies or other awards if they enter the Tournaments. When the ATA changed their handicap rule and extended the yardage back to 27 yards; he was one of the few Montana shooters to get back to the 27 yard line. He has won The City Trap Championship. In 1956 he won The Handicap Championship, The Doubles Championship and The High Overall Award.  He won The Butte Rod and Gun Medal with a perfect score. He won 1^st place in The Handicap Shoot held at Las Vegas, Nevada. Rodney won The Thunder Bird Pin shooting 100 straight at Tucson, Arizona Trap Club. He placed 4^th at The Golden West Grand held in Reno, Nevada, he tied with four other shooters and in the shoot off that followed and he beat them all. There were over a 1000 shooters. At a later date he tied with Roy Rogers in Doubles at the same club. He has won The Montana state Handicap Championship. He won silver belt buckles with gold coins on them. When he was President and was putting on the State Shoot he invited Harold Smith (owner of the famous Harold Club) to come to the shoot. Harold and his son came and he took them to Frontier Town for dinner. Rodney stopped shooting due to arthritis and poor eye sight due to Macular Degeneration.

When Rodney retired, he took time to look back at his life of fishing, hunting, riding horses, Small and Big Bore shooting, Trap shooting, and all the other social activities and other accomplishments he made. Rodney was able to reunite with his old Bomb Group to Italy for an extensive tour. He went to the building and inside where Jesus had his Last Supper and saw the original painting on the wall. He was able to walk in Caesar’s garden, Romeo and Juliet’s balcony, the famous Three Coins in the Fountain and tossed three coins in the fountain then danced on the sidewalk. Rodney was able to cruise the Yangtze River and walked the Great Wall of China. He had such a fascinating life story, video documentation of his service and travel adventures was made along with him writing a book about his experience in the Army Air Force. A copy of his book is at the Fort Harrison Military Museum.

Rodney was preceded in death by his parents, George and Josephine (Masanovich) Nick; special friend and companion, Dolores Wuerl; sisters and brothers-in-law, Helen (Mike) Dragnich and Dani (Clint) Englund; brothers, Peter and Michael Nick. He is survived by his sister, Josephine Driscoll of San Diego, CA; special friend, Inez Hoopes of Helena, MT; nephews, Monte (Janet) Nick of Helena, Greg Nick of Seattle, WA, and Nicholas Lulow of Helena, Brian Lulow of Kuna, ID, David (Vera) Englund and their sons Zachary and Jeremiah and daughter Rachel, of Basin, Eric (Tina) Englund and their daughter Ashley; nieces, Debra (Harvey) Lulow of Helena, MT, Heather (Jon) Canney of Helena, MT and Sara (Daryl) Driscoll of Sand Diego, Ca, Maureen Driscoll of Toluca Lake, CA, Gini Artley, Melinda Schriver, Shirley (Jim) Miller and Cindy (Brent) Colbert and their sons, Cody and Ian; sisters-in-law Violet Nick of Helena, and Jessie Nick of Whitefish; cousins Eileen MacLean and John (Nancy) Nickovich.

The family will receive friends from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, April 19, 2013 at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 N. Montana Ave.  A Funeral Service is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 20, 2013 at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home. Burial with Military Honors will follow the funeral service at Forestvale Cemetery with a reception to follow the burial in the Banquet Hall of Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home. Memorials in Rodney’s name are suggested to the Montana Military Museum Foundation, P.O. Box 125, Ft. Harrison, MT 59636. 

Service Schedule

Family and Friends Service

6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Friday April 19, 2013

Anderson Stevenson Wilke

3750 N. Montana Ave.

Helena, Montana 59602

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Funeral Service

11:00 a.m.

Saturday April 20, 2013

Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home

3750 N. Montana Ave

Helena, Montana 59602

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Burial

Following the Funeral Service

Saturday April 20, 2013

Forestvale Cemetery

490 Forestvale Rd.

Helena, Montana 59602

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Reception

Following the Burial

Saturday April 20, 2013

Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home

3750 N. Montana Ave.

Helena, Montana 59602

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