50 Years Ago

Sunday, March 19, 1972

Rockmart native retires after 30 years

Colonel Hubert Lester Nolan, former director of the Kwajalein range Directorate of the U.S. Army Safeguard Command, Huntsville, Ala., retired from active duty, on Feb. 29, after completing more than 30 years of service with the Army. Col. Nolan is a native of Rockmart, the son of Mrs. Sam J. Nolan and the late Mr. Nolan and achieved the distinction of being Rockmart’s first Eagle Scout.

Graduating from Georgia Tech in 1940, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps. He went on duty in May 1941, at McDillfield, Tampa Fla, and in 1942, he received orders to proceed to Chainking, China, for 30 days of temporary duty at Gen. Stilwell’s headquarters and came home 20 months later. While in China he served as Wing Ordnance Officer of the 68th Composite Wings, 14th Air Force.

In addition to China, he has served overseas tours in the Panama Canal Zone, with the Caribbean Air Command; In Japan at Camp Zama’s Far East headquarters; in Hawaii, with Headquarters, U.S. Army Pacific, and in Korea with Headquarters, Korean Military Advisory Group. While in this last assignment, he accompanied the Korean Army’s expeditionary forces to Vietnam to temporarily assist in establishing their logistical support.

Col. Nolan’s statewide tours include assignments with the Army Research office, Washington, D.C., Headquarters, United States Army Material Command, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Agency, both in Washington, and at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and Rossford Ordnance Depot, Toledo Ohio.

Col. Nolan went to Safeguard, Huntsville, Ala., in Sept. 1968 as Chief, Technical Operations Division, Site Activation Directorate, and one year later he became the director of that office. He was assigned as the Director of the Kwajalein Range Directorate.

His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

In addition to his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering, the colonel holds a master’s degree in the same field earned at Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.

He is an active member of the Modern Woodmen, the Masonic Order and the Association of the United States Army.