Thomas Brian Nielsen

A visitation for retired Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Brian Nielsen, 53, Urbandale, Iowa, will be held from 5-7p.m. Tuesday, February 18th. A funeral service will be planned for 9 a.m. Wednesday, February 19th located at the Caldwell-Raddatz Funeral Home in Urbandale. Following the funeral service, military honors will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter, Iowa. Thomas died Wednesday, February 12th, 2014, at his home. He was born on March 29, 1960, in Atlantic, Iowa, the son of Brigadier General (R) Franklin Nielsen and Frances Heinze. He was educated in the Atlantic Community School system and graduated from Atlantic High School in 1978, with a perpetual pride of being an Atlantic Trojan and a member of the Trojan football team. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa. His pursuits in education led him to receive a Masters degree in Public Administration from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where he was initiated into Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor society. Throughout his life he remained an ardent follower of the Democratic Party, the St. Louis Cardinals professional baseball team and of the University of Nebraska athletics. "GO BIG RED!" He enlisted into the Army mid-way into his senior year of high school and entered active duty on July 6, 1978. He later transitioned as a full-time member of the Iowa Army National Guard on July 6, 1982, where he served for 22 years before transitioning to the United States Army Reserve on April 3, 2005. He was later placed into the retired reserve on June 30, 2011. He spent 33 years wearing an Army uniform, serving his country in five different decades, and served in all three components of the Army. He attended numerous schools, met scores of interesting people, and had tremendous opportunities for travel. He has been to Check Point Charlie in West Berlin during the Cold War when stationed along the Iron Curtain, lived in the Panama Canal Zone, and performed duty in Central and South America, he accomplished several rotations to Korea, stood at the UN Peace Table at Panmunjom within the DMZ, and supported combat operations while in Iraq as the Chief of Logistics Special Projects with the 3rd COSCOM. He most recently served as the Chief of Internal Review with the 103rd ESC. He received numerous awards and commendations, summarizing his unique accomplishments including: the Brevet Militaire de Parachutiste, the Air Force Security Police Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Combat Action Badge, the Governor's Volunteer Award, and inducted into the Association of Quartermasters' Distinguished Order of Saint Martin. Thomas is survived by his stepmother CW4 (R) Cindy S. Nielsen of Knoxville, Iowa; two brothers, MAJ (R) Michael R. Nielsen and Wife Martha, Leavenworth, KS; and Charles G. Nielsen, Oakdale, IA; son 2LT Nathaniel T. Nielsen and wife Megan, West Des Moines, IA; and a cherished friendship with Gina Henry, Urbandale, IA. Thomas was preceded in death by his parents retired BG Franklin Nielsen, Knoxville, Iowa and Frances Heinze, Steele, North Dakota. In Lieu of flowers, monetary donations are preferred to support the creation of a scholarship program in memorial of his pursuit of education. PO Box 615, Johnston, IA 50131-0615. Condolences may be left at caldwellraddatz.com