Nick S. Golla
March 23, 1919 - September 15, 2016

Nick S. Golla was born in March 23, 1919 in Baras Rizal, Philippines. He was one of eight siblings. There were four older sisters and three younger brothers. He survived them all. His family lived in Baras Rizal, Philippines, and they were a farming family raising sugar cane. When he was about 6 years old he was assigned chores to help in the sugar cane farm. He was walking behind a carabao, a domestic water buffalo, and decided farming is not what he wanted to do.

Nick was blessed with great athletic abilities to jump and run. He was good enough to visit Japan for athletic competition. His jumping ability made him a great asset in basketball where the center jump played a much more important part of the game than today. He was recruited by the Philippine Scouts for his athletic ability too.

In 1937 at age 18 Nick joined the Philippine Scouts, a component of the US Army. This was against the wishes of his family. He was groomed to take over the farm but upon graduation he did not go home but went directly to join the scouts.

In December of 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered into World War II. Nick found himself as part of the US forces in Bataan when the US forces, outnumbered and out of supplies, surrendered to the Japanese in April 1942. Nick was a prisoner of war. He was part of the infamous Bataan Death March where the prisoners of war were "force marched" 65 miles without food or water. Thousands died along the way.

Because of a terrible illness, Nick was paroled from the prisoner of war camp in late 1942. I guess they thought he was going to die. Nick went home and somehow recovered.

Nick joined the guerrilla forces in 1943 against the Japanese occupational forces. In 1945 he joined the US Liberation Army when they came to Rizal Province. He became a 2nd Lieutenant in July 1946. In February 1950, Nick was assigned to Okinawa then to Korea where he was wounded by a sniper. He returned to fight in Korea for ten more months.

Before going to the peace time part of Nick's life, let us review his war time achievements. Nick was a survivor of the Bataan Death March, former prisoner of war, served in the Korean War, recipient of many medals, notably the Silver Star, 4 Bronze Stars, and a Purple Heart. For friends and family not familiar with these medals, they were for (Bronze) heroic and or meritorious service in a combat zone, (Silver) gallantry in action and (Purple) being wounded or killed while serving. The Silver Star Medal is the Army's third highest behind the Army Distinguished Service Medal and the Medal of Honor.

Nick was married to Francisca Ferrera in May 1944. She was from the same town. Their first born was Michael in 1945 at Jala Jala, Philippines. Then came Edna in 1948 at Ft. William McKinley, Philippines. Norman was born 1950 in Manila Philippines.

In 1952 Nick was assigned to Fort Ord, California so he and his family moved there. In 1953 Gabriel was born in Salinas, California. Nick's next assignment was Ft. Meyer, Virginia in 1956. They lived on post and later in a house in Alexandria Virginia. At age 40, Nick retired as Captain from the US Army in 1959. Nick and his family moved to Seattle in 1960.

In Seattle, Nick started his second career at the US Post Office. He bought a house on S. Austin Street. There he did gardening, finishing his basement, building his shed in the back yard, maintaining his car and raising his family. His gardening included trees, vegetables as well as flowers. Perhaps farming was OK as long as it did not include walking behind a carabao.

Francisca died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage in 1970. She was 49. At this point I will give a summary of Nick and Francisca family. The children are Michael, Edna husband Tony, Norman (deceased) wife Bonnie and Gabriel. The grandchildren are Nina, Norman, Michelle, Francisco (Mikey), Tiana, Aubrey, Sam, Danielle and Angelina. The great grandchildren are Giovanni, Makayla, Armani, and Nico. The great great grandchild is Mia.

In 1978, Nick, age 58, returned to the Philippines and married 36 year old Roberta Pangilinan.

1979 Nick and Roberta had a son, Nicholas Noel, also known as Nicky or Nick. Nicholas is married to Anna Rivera and they have two young sons Max Bruno and Rio Douglas.

In March 1981, Nick retired from the post office after 20 years' service. Roberta went to work with the Seattle School District in 1983. So Nick was caring for Nicholas until he reached school age. Then Nick became a parent volunteer at St. George School where Nicholas attended for eight years.

By the late 1990's Nicholas was in college and graduated then moved to California for Starbucks. Nick was really retired now. He became more involved with the Bataan Corregidor Survivors' Association and Their Families located at the Filipino Community Center. He contributed generously towards the building of the "Gathering Place" a social area connected to St. George Parish. In 2006 Nick donated land and financed the construction of a memorial in his home town of Baras. This memorial honors the 6 Heroes of Baras who fought and died in WWII during the Bataan Death March.

Nicholas returned to Seattle and married Anna Rivera in 2008 and had two children Max and Rio. They made Nick, at age 90 plus, a grandparent again. Once more young children were running around the house. Nick probably had a greater appreciation for Max and Rio.

I have known Nick since 1974. Then I was mainly interested in his daughter Edna, and wanted to gain his approval. I gained his approval quickly and over the next 42 years, much more. I have spent more time and had more shared experiences with Nick than with my father who died when I was 28. Nick and I came to know and to accept each other as we were. We had a very respectful, trusting and caring relationship.

 

Words of comfort may be expressed for Nick Golla's family by clicking on the guestbook link to the right.

Tributes