Joseph Michael Nolan was born into an Irish Catholic family in Waterbury, Connecticut. According to

his family, from his earliest days, young Joe (or Joey, as they called him) had exhibited an insatiable

thirst to engage and influence the world around him. To those who knew him, there was little doubt

that he was insightful and intelligent beyond his years. But scholarly pursuits were only a part of

young Joe Nolan’s life. Despite his less than massive frame, Joe also spent a great deal of time playing

defensive tackle for the Wolcott High School Eagles near his hometown.

The fall of 1995 found him at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. St. Joe’s is a Jesuit institution that

revels in the idea that those with great gifts have an obligation to live their lives not only for themselves, but also for the “greater glory of God.” Many expected Joe to follow in the footsteps of many of

his fellow classmates by pursuing a career in the civilian world, but he had other ideas. Although 

educated in the Jesuit tradition, he was also part of another legacy – that of service to his country in

time of war. Joe’s great-grandfather had served in WWI, his grandfather had served in the Navy during WWII, and his father was a Marine in Vietnam. In 1999, Joe joined the long line of Nolans who

had answered the call to the colors when he enlisted in the United States Army. His interest in, and

aptitude for, foreign languages would lead to his being chosen to attend a highly selective, 63-week

course in Arabic at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.

He would finish fourth in a class of eighteen. His training at Monterey

began in the early summer of 2001. By late fall, the world had changed 

forever for Joe Nolan and for America.

Joe was assigned to the 312th Intelligence Battalion of the 1st Cavalry

Division. The fall of 2003 found him in Baghdad. In early November 2004,

he was sent to Fallujah to provide critical-language and cryptologic support

to coalition troops in the area. Cryptologists must be versatile and skilled in

the areas of language, technology, and mathematics. In time of war, these

skills must be made available to those closest to the battle’s fray. SGT Nolan
excelled in this kind of environment. Sometimes

he was a translator. On other occasions, he was

involved in moving critical information to those

in harm’s way. But in whatever capacity he

served, his work was crucial in helping to save the

lives of soldiers and civilians alike.

Life in the military is one of constant service and sacrifice.

Sometimes those who wear the uniform of our nation are called

upon not only to endure hardship, but also to make the ultimate

sacrifice in defense of freedom. On 18 November 2004,

SGT Nolan lost his life when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle. Joe

Nolan died never knowing that his sacrifice, and the sacrifices of thousands like him, had

brought the possibility of freedom and liberty to a land that had known torture

and fear for decades.

Back in Connecticut, the Waterbury Republican-American reported that a

wooden placard greeted cars pulling into the parking lot at Wolcott High

School for the annual Thanksgiving morning football game. The hastily

scrawled message simply said: Game Canceled. That morning, Wolcott’s

athletic director and head football coach, Joe Monroe, remembered his

former player as someone who really just wanted to be part of the team.

“He wasn’t a standout. He wasn’t a name or a face that a lot of people

would remember, but he was the kind of kid who would do absolutely

anything you asked him to do.” Coach Monroe’s words were meant

to honor the late SGT Nolan, but in a larger sense, he was also

describing the uncanny ability of common Americans to overcome

uncommon challenges no matter what the cost. Let us hope that as our nation

embarks on yet another long twilight struggle, we will always have Americans such as

Joseph Michael Nolan to help us preserve freedom and liberty for generations to come.

Photos courtesy of the Nolan Family

Narrative - Patrick Weadon, Public Affairs

Graphics/Layout - Terri Askew, NSA Creative Imaging

MEMORIAL DAY 2005

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Sergeant Joseph Michael Nolan

United States Army

10 March 1977 - 18 November 2004