As Remembrance Day approaches, Chief Petty Officer John A. Nichol is thinking about the people he served with — and those who never came home. Nichol joined the military in 1954 and retired in 1991, serving at sea aboard HMCS Magnificent and HMCS Bonaventure and on land at air stations including CFB Shearwater and Portage la Prairie. As we count the days until November 11th, Nichol sat down with reporter Tylor Baer, sharing insights, and plenty of photos, from a scrapbook that he's meticulously kept for years. He says up to this point, no one outside of his family has seen the contents, but jokingly assures that it's "nothing classified". Life on the flight deck Nichol says his trade was aircraft controlman, but his favourite place was the flight deck. “I loved working on the flight deck,” Nichol says. “You were responsible for those aircraft — chocks in, lashings on — and you did it.” He explains how crews secured planes between launches and in rough seas: two to four lashings on the nose and tail, with extra ties on each oleo leg when the weather turned. He recalls a hurricane where a safety cable stopped him from going overboard. “I’ve come close to going overboard,” he says. “A cable prevented me from going any farther.” Deck firefighters wore heavy “fear-not suits” for flame protection, and lash-down routines changed with the sea state — “two on the nose, two on the tail” in calmer water, doubling up when swells built. Instructor, rescuer, teammate Later in his career, Nichol instructed survival training for aircrew. In winter, lessons took place at the pool; in summer, they happened offshore near Halifax. Trainees jumped from a tugboat, inflated life rafts, and worked together to climb in while a rescue team stood by. “You’re buddies, period,” Nichol says. “We all went into the water together… nobody left somebody else behind.” Related stories: From deserts to igloos to Snowbirds: the unstoppable "Speedy" Fast Portage Legion honours 80 years since Victory in Europe Portage Legion proposing installing veterans' crosswalks The Flyers years Away from flight ops, sports filled the hangar and the deck. Early-1960s clippings from The Navalaire and Halifax papers show Nichol suiting up for the Shearwater Flyers football team — identified as No. 62 at tackle — and praised for fumble recoveries, hard running, and “outstanding” defensive play. Headlines from the scrapbook track a gritty season: a rain-soaked opener versus Stad and a 12–1 win over St. Dunstan’s, with Nichol highlighted on key defensive stands. “I loved playing football,” Nichol says. “A lot of people didn’t want to be in front of me.” Family roots in Portage and a message for November 11 Asked for his fondest memory from service, Nichol doesn’t hesitate. “Meeting my wife,” he says, without missing a beat. A true class act if ever there were. Nichol spent time stationed in Portage la Prairie, raised a family here, including daughter Dawn Fraise, who is now the Executive Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters Central Plains, and later taught as an instructor at Cornwallis. “The only thing I would want is to remember the guys that didn’t come back,” he says. “And for those that did and are around — a little more respect in some cases.” In a city with aviation in its DNA, Nichol’s story points to the quiet skills — and the people — that keep others safe long before the public ever hears about it. Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon. Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@portageonline.com.