Published: October 01, 2008 01:00 pm      

Special Forces sergeant from Clay County dies in Afghanistan

CHARLESTON — A Clay County family is taking comfort in knowing that their son died in Afghanistan intent on protecting his country.



Sgt. First Class Jamie Nicholas, 34, was one of four soldiers who died Monday, the victims of a roadside bomb. He was serving his second tour of Afghanistan as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces.



He is the son of Burke and Karen Nicholas of Clay. The family says they will bury their son in the family cemetery.



Karen Nicholas said today, "Jamie died doing what he wanted to do. He wasn't concerned about going over there this time, but I had asked him if he felt we should be there.



"He was adamant," she said. "He said if we are not there, they will be in America. That gives me comfort. We support America."



Nicholas was stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C. He had a wife, Michelle, and two stepchildren. He spoke to his wife Sunday, the day before he died.



Nicholas said her son joined the Army not long after graduating from Clay County High School in 1994, following in the footsteps of his father, who served 12 years in the Army.



"I am very grateful there are people like him and the other soldiers with him who are willing to do these things so we can do what we want to do," she said.



"Clay County is a very rural area, and he was serving so we can be able to live as we desire here," she said. "I'm very proud of what they do. I pray for our soldiers and their families every day."



Nicholas was the second of six children in his family. And he was not the only one to serve in the military. Another son served for ten years, also stationed at Ft. Bragg. His sister-in-law was due to return to Iraq today.



This was Nicholas' second tour of Afghanistan. He spent seven months there in 2007, his mother said.



"The special forces work with the Afghani army, training and helping them," she said. "They were out among the people. Basically, they were looking for the bad guys."



He always knew how dangerous his job was, and so did his family.



She said there has been a large response from the community as news of her son's death has spread. Nicholas is the first Clay County native to die in the Iraq conflict.