BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL
DANVILLE — Denny Gardner knew Kenny “Bub” Nichols since he was a baby, living just two blocks down from the Ridge Farm native’s home.
“He always had a smile,” said Gardner, the Vermilion County Circuit Clerk. “And he loved to make other people smile.”
Now Gardner is joining the family is mourning the death of the 27-year-old Nichols — a U.S. soldier who died on Tuesday while serving in Afghanistan. He was on his second tour of duty when his unit was ambushed Tuesday night.
He had been promoted to the rank of sergeant just hours before he was killed.
Nichols’ family was in Dover, Del., on Thursday to witness his body being returned to the United States. The plane carrying Nichols was expected early Thursday evening. An escort by local fire departments is being set up for when his body is released by the military and returned to Vermilion County.
According to Gardner, Nichols’ family — he leaves behind a wife, Lexi, and four children — is handling his death as well as could be expected.
“He died doing what he loved doing,” Gardner said, adding making the rank of sergeant was something Nichols had been wanting for some time. “Bub made the ultimate sacrifice for his county and us.”
Nichols had just met with three of his children from a prior marriage — 6-year-old Brhyleigh, 4-year-old Kenneth III and 3-year-old Branden — at Thanksgiving and had made plans for Christmas.
“I love my daddy,” said Kenneth III.
In a Facebook page set up by a family member, past and present friends as well as people who didn’t even know him lauded the local man for serving overseas.
Amy Haussy of Georgetown wrote on the site that Nichols will be “truly missed.”
“I remember the first time I met Bub, he was always smiling and never had a bad word for anyone. He was a very good guy. He always was laughing or trying to make a joke to get everyone in a good mood.”
Sam Van Camp is a former teacher from the Georgetown-Ridge Farm School District where Nichols graduated in 2000. Van Camp said he had no problem remember Nichols from his teaching days.
“He was an aggressive kid, a typical boy,” Van Camp said. “It wouldn’t surprise me in the least that he would be over there defending our county and wanting to go on patrol. It just the kid he was, the kind of life he lived. He liked to mix it up.”
Van Camp said it’s tough for a former teacher to lose any student they’ve taught.
“You hate to see a kid’s life lost at this early age, but serving our county is an honorable way to go,” he said.
