Harold Nobles

Harold was born in central Georgia on 28 November 1940. He grew up on a farm where he picked cotton by hand and plowed mules. He graduated from Twiggs County High in Jeffersonville, Georgia in May of 1958. His choices were very limited in terms of his future. He was the ninth child of nine children, so going to college was not an option. He joined the army after finishing high school. After basic and AIT, he was sent to Korea by ship. He landed in Japan on his 18th birthday.


After his tour in Korea, he was assigned to Fort Jackson where learned to be a cook for a short while. He attended NCO School and then trained troops until he was reassigned to Germany. He went to Germany as a Corporal and came home as a S/Sgt. He returned from Germany and again was assigned to Fort Jackson, where he attended Drill Sergeant School and was one of the Army’s first DS.


In 1966, he attended Infantry Officer Candidate School and graduated 2Lt. After a short tour as a Tac Officer, he attended airborne school and was assigned to A Co. 3/503 173rd, where he served as a rifle platoon leader and later as the S3 Air at Bn from 5/68-5/69. He then went to Alaska, where he served as the assistant S3 at Bde level and then commanded a rifle co. and HHC 172 Inf Bde.


He also served a second tour in RVN with MACV. His last assignment on active duty was Commander of a SF A team. He was released from active duty in September 1973 and into the Reserve Program. He was promoted to LTC in November 1983. He had several assignments in the reserve. His unit was called to active duty during Operation Desert Storm, where he served as the G4 of the 360th CA Bde.


He retired form the Army in November 2000. Some of his awards are CIB, EIB, parachute badge, Special Forces tap, Legion of merit, 4 bronze stars, and the Kuwait liberation medal.


He attended the University of South Carolina, became a Registered Nurse, and worked at the VA Hospital in Columbia for 21 years. He started as staff nurse and moved up the ladder to become the Assistant Chief Nurse and retired from the VA in 1997.