Mueller, Nickolas

Nickolas married Nussbaum, Julia C. 23 Oct 1940. Julia (daughter of Nussbaum, Peter and Wittlin, Katherine H.) was born 4 Aug 1906, Ellington, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA; died 19 Dec 2002; was buried Aft 19 Dec 2002, St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet]

Lawrence married West, Sharon Marie (daughter of West, Henry Joseph and Nowak, Jeanne) [Group Sheet]

John — Lahti, Stefanie. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Military Service: Between 27 Jun 2004 and 26 Oct 2009; Afghanastan - US Army Sgt. - KIA - 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
• News Mention: 27 Oct 2009; Winona Daily News
• Obituary: 27 Oct 2009; Appleton Post Crescent
• News Mention: 31 Oct 2009
• News Mention: 7 Nov 2009
• News Mention: 16 Nov 2009
• News Mention: 5 Aug 2017; Times Villager

Notes:

News Mention:
DOVER, Del. - The death Monday of Army Sgt. Nikolas Mueller of Little Chute in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan was a loss for the country as well as his family, President Barack Obama told Mueller's parents, brother and sister-in-law on Thursday.
Obama met individually with Mueller's family and the relatives of 14 other deceased U.S. soldiers at Dover Air Force Base, Del., in a visit to the base where fallen Americans are returned to the United States.
Mueller, 26, was the helicopter's crew chief, said Elizabeth Lahti of Appleton, whose daughter, Stefanie, is married to Mueller's brother, John.
Mueller will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., alongside a fellow soldier killed earlier in the war, Lahti said.
A memorial service is being planned for early next week at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Combined Locks.
Following his visit, Obama said losses like those sustained on Monday are "something I think about each and every day.
"It was a sobering reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our young men and women in uniform are engaging in every single day, not only our troops, but their families as well."

News Mention:
MILWAUKEE - A Wisconsin Army sergeant was aboard a helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan this week, killing him and nine other Americans, his parents said Tuesday.
Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute was a member of the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and a crew chief on a Chinook helicopter.
Mueller died doing what he loved and left behind a family and girlfriend who are intensely proud of his sacrifice, parents Larry and Sharon Mueller told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
"This was something that he wanted to do, that he needed to do," Larry Mueller said. "We were behind him 100 percent."
The Pentagon said the helicopter crashed Monday while returning from the scene of a firefight with suspected Taliban drug traffickers. In a separate crash Monday, four more troops were killed when two helicopters collided over southern Afghanistan.
U.S. military officials insisted neither crash was believed a result of hostile fire, although the Taliban claimed they shot down a U.S. helicopter in the western province of Badghis. The U.S. did not say where in western Afghanistan its helicopter went down, and no other aircraft were reported missing.
The Defense Department did not immediately confirm that Mueller was on board. But Mueller's parents said they were awoken just after midnight Tuesday by three fellow members of the 160th regiment.
"We had a feeling all day because Nick did not call," Sharon Mueller said. "I went to bed thinking, 'No news is good news, Nick's OK.' Then there was the knock on door."
She paused and then exhaled.
"I'll never forget them three guys standing on my porch," she said softly. "I thought Nick would never die."
Nick Mueller always wanted to be a fighter pilot, the mother said. Even when he was little he decorated his room with a military theme, including pictures of fighter jets.
If there were any doubts about his career plans, they were erased by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"He wanted in and we supported him," Sharon Mueller said. "A mother always wants to feel her children are safe, but I supported him because Nick wanted that. I thought to myself I would never let him know how afraid I was."
Mueller was outgoing and gregarious, someone who enjoyed debating with his teachers, his mother said. If he had something to say, he would say it, she said.
He graduated in 2002 from Little Chute High School, where he played football and ran track. But his mother said it was in wrestling that he excelled - dominating an opponent who outweighed him by 55 pounds during one matchup.
Sharon Mueller said her son would be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. She said it was too early to say when memorial services would be held.
"Nick always thought of other people. With him everybody came first," she said. "He was a very, very giving person. I think that's what people will remember."

Obituary:
Little Chute's Sgt. Mueller killed
Updated: Tuesday, 27 Oct 2009, 11:16 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 27 Oct 2009, 11:16 PM CDT
* Reporter: Becky DeVries
LITTLE CHUTE - A Fox Valley soldier has lost his life in Afghanistan. Sergeant Nickolas Mueller of Little Chute died Monday when the helicopter he was in crashed also killing 9 other people on board.
Mueller's family says he had re-enlisted in the Army twice. Mueller's father said his son was a soldier above all. His mother says he was very proud, loved what he did, and loved life. She also says he always loved helping people and was "one of a kind."
Mueller was 26 years old, had been in the army for 5 years, and had planned to stay for life. He was part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment . He was crew chief, and planned to become pilot of a Chinook helicopter.
His family says he died Monday when his helicopter went down in Afghanistan. The Pentagon has yet to officially confirm Mueller was aboard, but says a helicopter crashed while returning from the scene of a firefight with suspected Taliban drug traffickers.
Sgt. Nickolas Mueller grew up in Little Chute and graduated from Little Chute High School in 2002. According to his mother, in school he liked to debate with the teachers, and she proudly noted he was the homecoming king. She also says since grade school, Mueller had planned to join the army.
Mueller's mother also says he hadn't been home for Christmas since joining the army, but had planned to be home this Christmas.
Funeral details are not available yet, but plans are are for Mueller to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery , his mother said that is what he wanted.
Nov. 4, 2009;
November 4, 2009
Mueller, Sgt. Nickolas A.
Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller, formerly of Little Chute, age 26, died Monday, October 26, 2009, in Afghanistan. He was born in Appleton on June 21, 1983, to Larry and Sharon (West) Mueller. Nick graduated from Little Chute High School in 2002. While there, he participated in the wrestling, football and track programs. Nick also played saxophone with the Little Chute High School Band and was in the choir and drama club for 2 years. He was voted Homecoming King in 2001. Nick enlisted in the Army on June 27, 2004, to pursue his love of flying and was stationed at Hunter Air Field in Savannah, Georgia. While his first love was flying, Nick also enjoyed riding his motorcycle.
Nick was loved by everyone. He always put others first.
Nickolas is survived by his parents, Larry and Sharon Mueller of Little Chute; brother, John (Stefani) Mueller, Combined Locks; special friend, Heather Huckett; niece and nephew, Audrey and Jaxon; maternal grandparents, Henry "Bud" and Jeannine West; and uncles and aunts: John Mueller, Barb (Vaughn) Knuth, Anne (Rollie) Kiesow, Donna Kohls, Joe (Nat) West, Linda Gleason and Mike (Dawn) West. He is further survived by other relatives and many friends.
Nickolas was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Nickolas and Julia Mueller; uncle, Richard Kohls; and infant aunt, Shirley West.
Visitation will be held at LITTLE CHUTE HIGH SCHOOL (1402 Freedom Rd.) on Saturday, November 7, 2009, from 10 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. The funeral will follow at 4 p.m. with the Rev. Timothy Krick officiating. After the funeral, full military rites will be conducted by the Jacob Coppus American Legion Post 258. Committal Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a memorial is being established. For online condolences, please visit www. oconnellfuneralservices. com.
We will always have our Guardian Angel.
Love, Audrey and Jaxon
Never Gone
Never Forgotten
Love you always Nick.
John and Stef
My Son
My Hero
We miss you so much.
You will forever
be in our hearts.
We Love you Nick.
Mom and Dad
O'CONNELL
FUNERAL HOME
201 E. Main Street
Little Chute
920-788-6237
Oconnellfuneral
Services.com

News Mention:
October 31, 2009
Family of Army Sgt. Nikolas Mueller of Little Chute gets sympathy from President Barack Obama
Soldier to be buried in Arlington
By Steve Wideman Gannett Wisconsin Media
Army Sgt. Nikolas Mueller's family was joined by President Barack Obama on Thursday as Mueller's body was returned to the United States.
Additional information
These links will open in a new window:
? http://www.soc.mil/160soar/160Home.html" target="new">U.S. Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
? http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-10-29-obama-soldiers_N.htm" target="new">Click here to see a video of Obama honoring fallen soldiers
? http://www.defenselink.mil/Releases/" target="new">U.S. Department of Defense news releases
Mueller's body was returned to the U.S. following a helicopter crash that killed him and nine others Monday in Afghanistan.
Mueller, of Little Chute, was returned to Dover Air Force base in Delaware. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery after a memorial service in Savannah, Ga., for the fallen soldiers of 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which is based at Hunter Army Air Field near the coastal Georgia city.
In addition to the soldiers killed in the crash that claimed Mueller's life, four others who were killed in a separate helicopter crash Monday also were returned to U.S. soil, and Obama met privately with relatives of each of those killed.
"The president talked to each of the families, saying he was very sorry for their loss, but that this loss was also a loss for the country and the country mourned their son's passing," said Elizabeth Lahti of Appleton, whose daughter is married to Mueller's brother.
Lahti's daughter, Stefanie, and her husband, John, accompanied Mueller's parents, Sharon and Larry Mueller, to Dover Air Force Base.
Lahti said Nickolas Mueller's unit, also known as the Night Stalkers, provides helicopter aviation support, mostly at night, for special operations forces. Five of the seven soldiers killed in Monday's crash were Night Stalkers, Lahti said.
The three others who died were Drug Enforcement Agency agents.
The crashes Monday that killed 18 Americans made it the deadliest day for the U.S. in Afghanistan in four years.
Obama's trip to welcome home the fallen was not announced. He landed in a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter and immediately strode to the chapel where the grieving families awaited the arrival of their loved ones.
After his visit to Dover, Obama said losses like those the country suffered Monday are "something I think about each and every day."
"It was a sobering reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices that our young men and women in uniform are engaging in every single day, not only our troops, but their families as well," Obama said.
Obama is in the midst of a review to determine the course of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. At least 815 members of the American military have died in Afghanistan or neighboring countries as a result of the invasion in late November 2001.
The Defense Department has not publicly released the names of those killed in the helicopter crashes. Lahti said relatives were told the names are being withheld pending positive identification of the remains.
The crash that killed Mueller was caused when the helicopter, flying in poor visibility caused by dust from its blades, hit a structure, according to a Web site operated by the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan.

News Mention:
November 7, 2009
Funeral held for Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller at Little Chute High School
By Maureen Wallenfang Post-Crescent staff writer
LITTLE CHUTE - Thousands of people came to Little Chute High School on Saturday to honor fallen soldier Sgt. Nickolas Mueller in a six-hour visitation and funeral.
Additional information
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Mueller, 26, a Little Chute native and member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan Oct. 26.
On the sunny, warm day that was more a glimmer of summer than late fall, Mueller was remembered as a funny, outgoing man who worked hard, loved being a soldier and was entirely selfless.
The percentage of the crowd who knew Mueller, his parents or extended family appeared great.
"Most of them we do know," said Mueller's mother, Sharon. "But then some come up and say, 'You don't know me, but we just have to be here.'"
"The strength you get from the people coming through is unimaginable," said Larry Mueller, Nick's father.
Women arrived with plates of homemade bar cookies, covering four large tables in the school's cafeteria. Even the high school wrestling club, one of Mueller's passions, sent a floral arrangement.
The line of those who wanted to express condolences stretched the length of the field house. In the last hour, the line doubled, extending past the doorway emblazoned with the motto "Accept your limitations, then go beyond" to the school's front doors.
It appeared the entire village of 11,000 people was in mourning. Even if they didn't know him personally, he was treated like a brother, friend or son.
"If one is lost, they're lost to everybody," said Pat Nagan, of Appleton, a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, who didn't know Nick Mueller personally. "It's a local boy done good. He was the kind of son any parent would want."
The riders group was formed by veterans to show support to families who lose loved ones. "We have lost over 100 now in Iraq and Afghanistan from Wisconsin," said senior ride captain Michael Weaver, of Kaukauna.
Mueller's father, Larry, also a Patriot Guard Rider, was grateful to see riders come out in full force and hold flags by the high school's entrance. "Whenever I did this, I knew it meant something. But being on this end of it … they'll never know what they actually mean."
Mueller praised Friends at the visitation praised Mueller's selflessness.
"He was the shirt-off-his-back kind of guy," said Michael Sherwood, of Combined Locks, remembering his friend since sixth grade. "He was there for you when you were down. Everybody should know him. He's the friend you'd want to have."
Mueller's girlfriend Heather Huckett flew in from Savannah, Ga., to meet the Mueller family for the first time this past week.
"He was probably the funniest guy I ever met," she said. "He had a really big heart. He loved with his whole heart."
They'd met in Savannah when she visited her little brother who was in the same Night Stalkers military unit as Mueller.
"The first time I met him, all he said to me was he liked my potato salad," Huckett remembered. She said she had an immediate crush on him and moved to Savannah. "I asked him out," she recalled.
Even though she knew he was doing what he wanted to do, the loss is devastating.
"We had so many plans," she said. "You don't expect this when you're young."
Governor visits
Gov. Jim Doyle came to speak privately with the Mueller family before the visitation started at 10 a.m. Saturday.
"He said how sorry he was and how close it hit," Sharon said.
After that, the steady stream of people didn't let up until the funeral started at 4 p.m. against the backdrop of a two-story American flag, bagpiper and Little Chute High School choir. It began with a silent procession of veterans, police, soldiers from the 395th and 21 members of the Little Chute Fire Department. Staff Sgt. Caleb Baugh, of Savannah, Ga., choked back tears as he gave a eulogy commemorating his friend's sense of humor and hard work.
Rev. Tim Krick, of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Combined Locks, pointed out that a Facebook page honoring Mueller had 1,500 members sign up in a matter of days.
"This tells you everything you need to know about Nick. He cared for others and others cared for him."
At the end, with the waning light of the day, Mueller was honored with military rites conducted by the Jacob Coppus American Legion Post 258 of Little Chute, which included a three-volley salute, taps and a folded flag presented to his mother.
Mueller's remains were not in Little Chute, but will be laid to rest Nov. 16 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., according to his wishes. Online condolences may be sent through oconnellfuneralservices.com.

News Mention:
Larry and Sharon Mueller, far right, parents of of Army Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller of Little Chute, Wis. mourn with others during his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Monday, Nov. 16, 2009. Mueller died on Oct. 26, 2009, of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

News Mention:
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