GA HR1496

Georgia House of Representatives honors the life and legacy of Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr. (born September 23, 1923, in Norfolk, Virginia) and expresses condolences on his passing

Nichols was a Montford Point Marine, among the first African Americans allowed to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1942 directive ending a 144-year exclusion

Served in the 54th Defense Battalion during World War II, later earned a Business Administration degree from Virginia State College and retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as Lieutenant Colonel

Devoted 34 years of civilian service to the Norfolk Naval Supply Center while also working as an elementary school teacher

Received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011 alongside fellow Montford Point Marines for their historic role in breaking racial barriers in the military