Chadrad.com

Memorial services for Mike Nick Mykris, formerly of Chadron, NE, will be at 10:30 AM on Friday, April 15, 2016 at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA.

A memorial has been established for the Chadron Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) Regional Training Center. Donations can be sent to PO Box 829, Chadron, NE69337-0829.

Mike passed away on March 24, 2016 in Hemet, CA. He was born in Lemoyne, NE (which was flooded to make LakeMcConaughy) on December 15, 1925. He is one of seven children born to “Jesse” and Nick Mykris, who were immigrants from Greece. His family moved from there to Dix, NE and finally to Pine Bluffs, WY, where Mike grew up and joined the United States Marine Corps before he graduated from high school at the age of 17.

He was sent to San Diego for boot camp. He had line training at CampTarawa, Hilo, HI. He served in the Pacific Arena from September 19, 1944 to July 15, 1946 in the 5^th Marine Division, 28^th Regiment, 2^nd Battalion Fox Company, 3^rd Platoon, as an automatic rifleman.

Mike was on Iwo Jima from February 19, 1945 to March 16, 1945. He went in on GreenBeach. The beach was littered with the dead, quite a shock for a 17-year-old kid. The objective was to secure Mt.Suribachi. The first day, mortar landed in front of his fox hole and disabled his B.A.R. (Browning automatic rifle). He picked up an M1 rifle and went on. The fourth day they were on top of Mt. Suribachi, and he was there when they raised the first American flag and then witnessed the raising of the second American flag, which is the now famous photo.

The next day was spent “cleaning up” the side of the mountain with an eight-man patrol. On the fifth day, they were sent to air field #1. On the 14th day, he was blown out of his foxhole during the night and was sent to a mash unit for two or three days. Then he was sent back to the front line. During that time, he survived two Bonsai attacks. Later he was sent to the end of the island to “mop up” and blow any caves shut. He was one of 42 who survived out of the unit of 345 men. All others were either killed in action or severely wounded and evacuated.

From Iwo Jima, he served in occupied Japan from September 22, 1945 to June 1, 1946. He was in Sasebo, Japan for two weeks and then went on to Fukuoka. There they went from building to building and house to house picking up guns and ammo. Thank God they didn’t have to invade Japan. It took 10 days by ship to return to San Diego where Mike was mustarded out of the service in July 1946. He hitched a ride with a couple of other discharged guys to Pine Bluffs, WY.

Later he moved to Alliance, NE where he had a job as a projectionist at the Alliance Theater. It was there that he met Shirley, who also worked at the theatre as a cashier. They were later married in September 1947. They will celebrate their 69th wedding anniversary this year. From Alliance, Mike was transferred to Chadron, NE with the then North West Bell Telephone Company in 1953, where Shirley and he raised their four children. Mike was active in the American Legion Post #7 and served as Area D Commander. He also led the legion firing squad for military services. He was an active member of the Chadron BPO Elks Lodge #1399, holding most of the offices and becoming the District Deputy in 1980-81. He had since transferred his membership to the Hemet Elks Lodge #1740.

Mike retired in 1989 from the now Quest Telephone Company after working 40 years as an equipment repairman. Shirley retired in 1990 from Chadron State College, where she worked in the library as a staff assistant for 17 years. The couple lived in Nebraska until the fall of 2004 when they moved to Hemet. They had traveled through Hemet on their way to Idyllwild to visit Shirley’s brother. They remembered the area as a nice place to retire and to be close to a son and family who live in Sun City. They enjoyed living in the beautiful Hemet West Park where there’s no snow to shovel. Mike loved playing horseshoes and golf and was an active helper with the bazaars.

Mike is survived by wife Shirley of 68 ½ years; children Michael (Carolyn) of Santa Fe, NM, Tony (Robyn) of Menifee, CA, Nick (Sheryl) of Charlottesville, VA, and Diana Foster (Dan) of Spring, TX; sisters Dora Zerwoodis of Seattle, WA and Argie Hayes (John) of Hemet, CA; several nieces and nephews; 12 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and a second set of twin great-granddaughters to be born in July.