WWII soldier’s remains are returned home to Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The remains of a World War II soldier have been returned home to Mississippi, nearly 77 years after he died as a prisoner of war.

Army Pfc. Harvey Andrew Nichols was a native of the small town of Braxton, near Jackson. He was taken prisoner in the Philippines when the Japanese invaded in December 1941.

The Mississippi National Guard says Nichols survived the Bataan Death March as he and others walked to a prison camp. According to camp records, Nichols died of malaria and malnutrition on Nov. 19, 1942. He was 27.

His remains were identified by DNA testing, and they were returned to Mississippi on Thursday. A funeral is Saturday in Braxton.

Nichols was one of 16 children. Ten of them served in the military during World War II.

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)