What I Learned Today at the Dan Moody Museum: This Veterans' Day, we honor a Taylorite that served his nation and his hometown. We are lucky enough at the museum to be the home of one his uniforms to help celebrate his memory.

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COURAGE, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY: MAJOR GENERAL NICHOLS’ LEGACY

Major General Delmer H. Nichols (1923–1985) was born on January 2, 1923 and was a graduate of Taylor High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, serving in England and France during World War II, and was discharged as a sergeant in 1945.

Following the war, he attended Infantry Officer Candidate School in France and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. In 1947, he joined the Texas National Guard, advancing through key leadership positions in the 36th Infantry Division, 649th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion, and 3rd Battalion, 112th Armor Cavalry Regiment. During the 1961 Berlin Crisis, he served in staff roles for the 49th Armored Division. Promoted to colonel in 1970, Nichols became Deputy Brigade Commander of the 72nd Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), and on November 1, 1976, he was appointed Commanding General of the 49th Armored Division, a role he held until his retirement in 1979.

As a Major General, he led one of Texas’s largest military organizations—commanding thousands of citizen-soldiers and overseeing the training and readiness of the 49th Armored Division.

Beyond his military career, General Nichols was active in his community, serving on the Taylor School Board in the 1950s. He married Mary Ann Worley in 1946, and together they made their home in Taylor, Texas, where they lived until their passing. Both are buried in the Taylor City Cemetery.

General Nichols is honored in the Texas Military Forces Museum Hall of Honor for his distinguished service, leadership, and lifelong dedication to both the Texas National Guard and his community.

https://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/hal.../nichols.htm