Nichols, Donald Lee

Specialist Donald Lee Nichols was a 21-year-old soldier from Shell Rock, Iowa. He served with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, a unit based in Waterloo, Iowa.

On April 13, 2011, Nichols was killed in Mehtar Lam District, Laghman Province, Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, his death resulted from a hostile incident, reportedly involving small arms fire during a patrol.

Nichols was deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In 2011, the war was in its tenth year, with U.S. and allied forces engaged in counterinsurgency operations and training Afghan security forces.

Following his death, the U.S. Army confirmed the incident. His body was returned to Iowa, where he was buried with military honors. Local news reported on memorial services held in his hometown.

Nichols was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. He is remembered on memorials in Iowa and by his unit, which completed its deployment later in 2011.

Specialist Nichols was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

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