Chase Jay Nielsen

Lt. Col. Chase Jay Nielsen, age 90, of Brigham City,
Utah passed away on Friday, March 23 at his home in
Brigham City.
He was, a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother
and son.
Col. Nielsen was born January 14, 1917 at Hyrum, Utah.
He was the son of the late Floyd and Carrie Nielsen.
He graduated from the grade and high schools in Hyrum
and received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from
Utah, State University, Logan, Utah in 1939. He
entered the United States Army Air Corps through the
Flying Cadet Progam in August 1939. He completed pilot
and aerial navigation training and was commissioned a
Second Lieutenant in June 1941. Col. Nielsen was the
navigator on the sixth (of only 16) Army Air Corps
B-25 bombers to take off from the aircraft carrier USS
Hornet on the Doolittle Tokyo Raid of April 18, 1942.
This was the first strike back against the Japanese
homeland after their war starting attack on Pearl
Harbor some four months earlier.
After successfully bombing industrial targets in
Tokyo, Col. Nielsen's Crew #6 headed their B-25 bomber
west toward China, knowing full well they did not have
enough fuel to reach a safe haven beyond the Japanese
occupied China coastline. As anticipated, they ran out
of fuel when they reached the coastline and were
forced to make a crash landing in the ocean in
Japanese occupied territory. The bombardier and gunner
on the Nielsen crew were killed when their B-25
crashed. Their remains were buried in a safe haven
with the help of the local Chinese guerillas. After
evading the Japanese for several days, Nielsen, his
pilot and co-pilot were captured along with five
members of another crew. The Japanese executed three
of the men, the other five, including Nielsen were
held captive for 40 months. During the 40 months, one
man died, before they came home.
A week after the war in the Pacific ended, Nielsen and
his surviving buddies were located and recovered by an
OSS Parachute Rescue Team .
In January 1946 Col. Nielsen returned to Shanghai,
China where he participated in the International War
Crime Trials. He provided much of the evidence that
convicted four Japanese captors of inhumane treatment
and murder.
On return from the War Crime Trials and until March,
1949, Col. Nielsen spent much time in upgrade
training. He then joined Strategic Air Command. He
helped integrate “Fail Safe" and other emergency war
order procedures. He helped SAC grow to be one of the
most powerful forces in history. It's mission was to
provide the United States a long range combat
capability.
He logged most of his air time in B-29, B-50, B-36
and B-52 bombers. He retired from the U.S. Air Force
30 November 1961.
Col. Nielsen's peacetime overseas service included
several tours to the south pacific air bases and to
England. His last tour was to Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico,
where he served as squadron commander of maintenance
of B-52 and KC-135 type aircraft.
Col. Nielsen's decorations include the Distinguished
Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf
Cluster, Air Force Commendation with Oak Leaf Cluster
and the Republic of China with Breast Order of Pao
Ting, and the Prisoner of War Medal. He was also
inducted into the Utah Aviation Hall of Fame 30 May
2002.
Col. Nielsen married his first wife Cleo McCrary in
the Logan, Utah Temple July 17,1946. Surviving are
their three children. Terry (Beverly) Logan, Utah;
Gregory (Jeanne) Brigham City, Utah; Sherrie Wendel
Brigham City, Utah. Cleo died 7 Feb 1995. He then
married Phyllis Henderson. She had three children from
her first marriage: Roy (Patti) Henderson, Escondido,
California; Pamela (Michael) Clark, Encinitas,
California and Douglas (Kim) Henderson, Kearns, Utah.
Together they have 12 grandchildren and 2 great
grandchildren. Also surviving are two sisters, Coy
Scharp, Kaysville, Utah and Colleen (Art) Checketts,
Ogden, Utah.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on
Wednesday, March 28, at the Allen-Hall Mortuary
Chapel, 34 East Center Street in Logan. A viewing
will be held from 6-8 PM on Tuesday, March 27 at
Allen-Hall Mortuary and from 10:00-10:45 AM on
Wednesday prior to services. Interment will be in the
Hyrum City Cemetery, Hyrum, Utah. Condolences and
thoughts may be expressed to the family online at
www.allenmortuaries.net .

For death is no more than a turning of us over from
time to eternity.
William Penn