Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom

"Got the chance to know him at school in Mauritius, when we were 14-15 years old. Dominique was a great athlete at our college and he was an excellent middle-distance runner.
He never forgot to smile too and I will always remember this from him.

R I P Dominique."
Rodney of Mauritius

"11 years now that you've gone.
Always in the hearts of your friends here in Mauritius
RIP"
Shirley Chinien of Mauritius

"7 years and everyday you are in my heart and mind. I love you. Rachel"
Rachel of Brentwood, ca

"Tomorrow is the one of the sad days in my heart. I miss you buddy, I will drink one for you."
Chris of California

"Almost 7 years later, I miss you buddy. Our days at Champs, and you convincing me to do Karoke."
Chris of Cali

"I never want to forget the sacrifices of so many young men and women. I am so proud it makes me cry. I understand in theory only that war is a part of human nature but so is love and caring. I wish I could take the families pain away but I can't. I am committed to loving ALL people, myself and our environment. I am committed to working on my happiness everyday because so many have died for my freedom to live my life. Thank you is not enough but it is all I have. All my love and respect. ogersteiner@yahoo.com"
Scott E. Steiner of Worthington, OH

"I STILL LOVE YOU DOM! I STILL MISS YOU ! AND I AM FOREVER YOURS!"
RACHEL MULLENS of BRENTWOOD, CA

"May 20, 2009
To the family of Cpl. Dominique J. Nicolas:
Dominique gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. I cannot and will not let our fallen heroes be forgotten. My deepest sympathy to you. "Some gave all."
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org"
Peggy Childers of Carson City, NV

"The first time I saw "Nick" was in Hawaii July 2003, behind the wheel of a black Ferrari! The guy in the passenger seat had an ear to ear grin, obviously having the time of his life.
The next time I saw him, was on the Navy ship back to San Diego. He just kept popping up here and there. We eventually introduced ourselves and became instant friends. I took a couple of pictures of "Nick" before he left the ship. (They are posted on various websites) He was a Marine's Marine to be sure!! We stayed in contact via email and telephone calls after his first tour of duty. I remember him going to Africa shortly thereafter, to "spend some time in the bush" he called it. After that a short trip to France, to "take care of some business there." When he came back to the states, his training continued....I remember asking him "WHY" did he have to do another tour? His answer was simple: "It's my job"....I couldn't argue with that. I have the good luck charm that he wore the entire first tour. I would like to return it to his mother. IF she would like to have it. He said that he took it off because an Iraqi child approached him and gave him a small American flag. He felt he no longer needed the good luck charm. He later gave it to me. We also joked about his bald head, haha, did you know he was actually blonde??? yep....
Nick was a blonde~
Said his sister resembled his father and his brother looked like his mom.
We joked about him being the "mailman's kid".....haha.....I miss him, we were friends........I learned of his passing through friends still at Camp Pendleton. They told me that he was in the middle of disarming an IED, while someone in the company joked about hurrying up....
that is when he and his comrades that were standing close-by lost their lives.

Some websites have his personal info correct while others are still saying he died in hostile fire.


He was very proud to be a Marine
and I am very proud to still consider him a very good friend
....till we meet again.


MAY PEACE BE WITH ALL OF THOSE
THAT LOVED AND ADMIRED HIM."
Shelly of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

"To Dominique's family, My son, LCpl. Kyle Codner was killed along side your son. I am looking for information about Dominique. I'm making a quilt panel in honor of him for a quilt tribute to the fallen. If you can get in touch with me, I'd appreciate it: dcod1954@yahoo.com God bless you!"
Dixie Codner of Wood River, NE

"To the family of Dominique J Nicolas, I am so sorry for the loss of your love one. He died a hero defending freedom. May you have the peace and understanding that only comes from God. Prayfully we will all meet in Heaven one day where we will rest in the arms of Jesus. If you need prayer or need someone to talk to please call or write my pastor at Gateway Community Church Rev. John Pearrell 11677 Brown Bridge Rd. Covington, Ga.30016 Phone 770-787-1015. Your friend in Jesus Christ."
Polly Ballew of Covington, Ga. U S A

"I would like to say that dosen't matter what does people say, what matters is that Dominique was and will allways be, one of the bravest and kindness soldiers that have ever lived.

Congratulations to this man and his conquests, I don't know much about him, but what I do know is that hi loved my cousin Mariane, hi was so in love with her that they were planning to get married, and have kids.
As far as I know hi was the kind of person that put his soul and heart in to every thing hi has accomplished in life.
I have spoke with him several times by the phone, and I can tell that he was a incredible man.

God bless Dominique and his family."
Renata Sefton of Newport beach California

"I met Dominique by my husband who worked with him. He was such an awesome guy. Everytime I saw him he always had a smile on his face, I will never forget his smile or laugh. He was a good man. He loved my son, and called him Mr. Boo. My husband received a e-mail from him in Iraq and always asked about my son. He will be missed, he will also always have a place in our hearts where ever we go. To his loved ones, I hope you are strong and know God is with you. Dom is up in Heaven looking down. I am so glad my family was able to know him. He will be missed. Dom rest in peace and thank you for your sacrifice to our country."
Kali and Sgt Metzger of Okinawa, Japan

"Dominique, it was a pleasure to know you. I will always remember the kindness and love you showed me and my children. You were full of life and love. You lived by a code. You expressed so much love for your family and friends. You were a proud and committed Marine. You have touched so many lives. I remember watching you play hide and seek with my daughters. They thought you were a super hero. Madison (6) wore camoflage clothing for months and said she was practicing so she could be a Marine like you and help you fight the bad guys. I pray for your family's peace and comfort. May your spirit soar. And may your memory remain strong and true.
To Dominique's family: I have photos of Domnique I would like to send you. Please contact me at e-mail loukay1369@yahoo.com. You raised a wonderful son. I am so sorry he is no longer with us. Thank you for the gift of his life."
Dana, Madison & Sarah of Lake Forest, CA

"You were a Marine of the highest caliber, and it was an honor to have served with you. Walk steady to the pearly gates, and guard them well."
Edward Beau Ashley of Dallas, Texas

"Dom, I love you and will miss you as long as I live. I pray we will met again in heaven. Your strength and friendship have given me a priceless gift. You are alive inside of me and I thank god he sent you into my life. I miss you so much Dom and I will never understand why you had to leave this earth so soon. So many people need you and miss you. Your part of me and I shall never be the same now that you are gone. No matter what, always know I love you!"
Rachel Ann of Fremont, Ca.

"I had the privelage of serving with "Nick" on his first tour. We were the only two in our platoon with any kind of combat experience. There were few marines that lived up to his standards and what the Corps ment to him. He will be mourned by us all."
Former Cpl. Watrous, Jimmy of Rockford, IL

"I had the pleasure of knowing Dominique for only a short few months before he left. My husband worked with him at Camp Pendleton. The night they all left was sad but I knew in my heart my husband was leaving with good marines, the best I knew. Nicolas (as I knew him) was like no one I had ever met before. When I remember him there is one picture of him that comes to mind, him rolling on the ground with our friends little boy laughing. I laughed when I saw the picture of him in Iraq playing with the kids. It was typical. He always had a smile on his face, while he put smiles on the faces around him. I don't doubt it for a second that he impacted a lot of people's lives in numerous ways, he was quite a charismatic person. He was full of love, he tried to spread that love for life even in his hardest of days. But even the best people have their day I guess. My husband and I will miss him, he would have continued to make a difference in this world, even more so when he returned home.
To his family I hope you find some peace in this world to help you through.
To Mariane, you know what you shared with him. The memories you have will be yours forever, no one can ever take that from you. I saw the sparkle in his eye when he spoke of you, it was special.
For everyone else whose life he touched, hold dear to your memories too, he was an awesome person, be proud you knew him."
Kristi Leon of Camp Pendleton, CA

"Thank you great soldier for giving your life to protect our land and our freedom. You will forever hold a place in my life and your sacrific will never be forgotten. I pray that your family will find peace in their time of such great lose."
Cooper of Tampa, Florida

"je t'aime"

"Im going to leave my e-mail adress for you Rachel,but I was not talking about you!!!my really sorry if you understood like this!!!!
mariane_sefton@hotmail.com
Thanks!!!!"
MARIANE of BRASIL

"Dear Marianne,

You can not blame me for something I did not know about. I will not have to answer to god for anything I did with Dominique, because Dom never told me about you. I was played a fool and I am sorry if I hurt you. He came after me and I was told by him that he was single. If you want to be mad at me that is fine. I am not going to speak badly about someone that has died, about someone that I loved too."
Rachel of California

"HI,MY NAME IS MARIANE AND I WAS DOMINIQUE´S FIANCEE.I JUST WANT TO TELL TO EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO LISTEN THAT WE DON´T PLAY WITH GOD AND THIS LADY FROM CALIFORNIA DID A BIG FAKE ABOUT MY LIFE WITH DOMINIQUE,BUT I KNOW SHE IS GOING TO PAY FOR ALL BAD THINGS THAT SHE DID WITH MY LOVE.
I WAS WITH DOMINIQUE ALL THE TIME BEFORE HE LEFT TO IRAQ THE LAST TIME AND WE WERE LOVING WICHOTHER LIKE A DREAM.I KNOW THAT I MADE HIM THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THIS WORLD AND HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS KNOW ME AND KNOW ABOUT THAT TOO.
I JUST WANNA SAY FOR THIS LADY DON´T ACT LIKE A "LITTLE KID" IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION
DOMINIQUE WILL BE FOREVER IN MY LIFE AND SOUL.THATS ALL!!!!
MARIANE SEFTON FROM BRASIL"
MARIANE of BRASIL

"Thank you brave soldier for sacrificing your today for my children's safer tomorrow. You have our utmost respect and gratitude. May God provide your family with comfort in their time of sorrow. May you forever rest in Heavenly peace. neither you nor your sacrifice will be forgotten. For the family/friends: May time provide happy loving memories in place of present sorrows. Look to the sky for in the infinite meadows of Heaven the bright shining stars bloom...the forget-me-nots of angels. God bless you and thank you."
a grateful family in Phoenix, AZ

"I am a relative of Dominique living in Australia, where he has a large number of members of his extended family. I never met Dominique but was deeply saddened to hear of his passing. The loss of Dominique has been felt profoundly by all of his relatives in Australia and I for one am grateful for the huge amount of support and love shown by his friends from the United States.

In Australia, we have been interested to read a lot of what has been in the press written about Dominique because unfortunately much of it is incorrect. Given that so much of what has been written about him has been false, I would love to hear from anyone with any information about his life.

Also, It appears that Dominique had an interest in tracing our family history. Although he was born and grew up in Mauritius, a number of newspapers have written that he had a great-grandfather (more likely a great-great-grandfather) named Lloyd Gordon who was American.

If anyone who knew him has any information to share about his life, interests or research, it would be wonderful. Please email anything you know to vidal@mad.scientist.com"
Anonymous of Australia

"I met Nick between the months of April and June 2002, which was probably the last time I had seen him or spoken to him. He was one of the few people who could actually make me laugh about anything and everything with his slightly twisted sense of humor, yet still be a gentleman. The last time I saw him was in front of his barracks when my sister and I dropped his co-worker's wife off. He had mentioned possibly going to OCS after his first (volunteered) tour in Iraq... and we haven't spoken since. I didn't discover any knowledge of his death until this morning... my condolences and blessings go to his fiancee` and family."
Shawna of Long Beach, CA

"My Dearest Dom, I love you and miss you so much. I pray everyday to be with you in heaven. You taught me so much about trust, honor, friendship, growth and of course a love for Jazz. You are my eternal sunshine and I am so glad that you and I were able to be together before you left for this your last tour to Iraq. I am also grateful that you included me in your life while away in Iraq. I will never forget your letters, your phone calls, and all the laughter we shared and all the plans we made. I miss you so much my love. I will never be the same without you. I will see you in heaven my dearest Dom."
"Dom's Baby" of Cailfornia

"Dominique's family would like to know more about their son's last days. Any information would be appreciated. They were not aware he was to be married again. They are searching for as much information as possible about their son's last days. It seems Dominique did not tell them of his new fiance and they are egger to learn anything they can about his friends."
Raquel of Mauritius

"Dominigue was a great friend to my husband, son and I. We will miss him dearly. He will always be in our thoughts and hearts. I send my deapest sympathy to his family and to his fiance Mariane. We love you Dominique and will miss you so much."
Sgt Metzger and Family of San Clemente, Ca

"Corporal Nicolas, goodbye soldier and thank you. You are my hero."
Bill of Houston, Texas

"RIP Marine"
Petty Officer Cawthon of RTC Great Lakes, IL

"To The Nicolas's & Friends,
It is with a deeply saddened heart that I write the following to you.
It is an honor to know Dominique, he is a true friend to me and taught me many things about living & loving life. I am so SORRY from the depths of my very SOUL that he has been taken from you and from all of us whom he touched in this life. I will never forget Dom, and I feel so honored to know such a HERO. May God Bless each of you and help you through this tragic loss. Dominique is surly still watching over all of us, as it was in his very nature to do so. Much love and Blessings."
Rachel A. Silveria of Fremont, California

"To Dominique's Family and Friends:

On behalf of the Blanco-Caldas family, we send our sincerest condolences. We share the same loss ... the same pain. Our prayers are with you in this most difficult time and we thank you for his bravery and sacrifice.

Sincerely,

The Family of Capt. Ernesto M. Blanco-Caldas, 82nd Airborne
KIA Iraq 12/28/2003.
Gloria Caldas (Ernie's mom) of San Antonio, TX
gloria.caldas@banksterling.com"

"To the family and friends of Corporal Dominique J. Nicolas,

Those we hold most dear, never truly leave us. May you find comfort in love's everlasting connection.

In the Support section of this web site you will find links to many groups that support you at this crucial time. The Marine Comfort Quilt group would be honored to send a quilt to the next of kin. There are many, loving and caring Americans from all over the United States that will never forget the sacrifice that your loved one has made for our Freedom. Please register so we can send you our "Love Stitched Together."

Proud Marine Mom and Proud Member of Marine Comfort Quilts"
Sandra Moudy of Placentia, Ca USA

"I send my condolences to the Nicholas family for your loss. Dominique was not only a great Marine, he was a great man as well. I had the privelege of serving with him in C. Co. I am very sorry for your loss."
Chris McKinney of Clover, SC, USA

"TO THE NICOLAS FAMILY FROM THE WAHL FAMILY. WE ARE SO SADDEN BY THE LOST OF DOMINIQUE. DOMINIQUE NOW SERVING IN A BETTER PLACE. ALONG ALL THOSE THAT DID BEFORE AND WILL FOLLOW. FOR HE AS THOSE,ARE MORE THEN HEROES! FOR OUR SON'S AND DAUGHTERS'S LOVED THEIR JOB IN THE MILITARY. AN WILLING TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOM AND TO FREE IRAQ OF SADDEM. OUR MILITARY IS SPECIAL; NO OTHER MILITARY IN THE WORLD. THAT OUR SOLDIER LIKE DOMINIQUE RE-ENLIST. TO SERVE THE BETTER OF OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. NO WORDS OF CONDOLENCES CAN ALTERED YOUR LOST. BUT, IN MY HEART AND YOUR'S WE REALIZE OUR CHILDREN ARE MUCH MORE. DOMINIQUE IS BY MY SON'S SIDE NOW AND OTHER'S. SMILING DOWN ON US! OUR CHILDREN ARE STILL IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER!"
LEONARD WAHL of VALLEY STREAM NY

"Dominique Nicolas, your commitment to God and freedom will not be forgotten.
Thank you for your service to our country."
Debby Norman of U.S. Embassy - Port Louis, Mauritius

"We Will NEVER FORGET !"
Please KNOW so many people share your sadness, and we are remembering your family in your loss and your deep grief. Your HERO, Dominique will be remembered by name. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. God Bless you. Pat & Sandi Breckenridge from Montana "

"To Dominique's family, I am sorry for your loss of your loved one. Please know that many of us appreciate his service to and great sacrifice for our country."
F. Smith of Pennsylvania

"Thank you Dominique Nicolas, you will not be forgotten. Your bravery goes beyond words. I want to express my deepest gratitude for your sacrifice. To the family and friends, my prayers and deep condolences in your loss. May God strengthen you from knowing that fellow Americans and people around the world care about you and grieve with you in your loss. God bless you all. A very appreciative fellow American,"
Leo Titus of Grayslake, Illinios

"To the family and friends of Cpl. Dominique Nicolas:
May God's grace be with you during your time of grief. Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and we feel your loss and share in your sorrow. Bless Dominique for the sacrifice he has made to make a better life for the rest of us."
The Ford Family of Wells, Nevada

"To the family and friends of Cpl. Dominique Nicolas:
I am saddened by the loss of your loved one. He will always be remembered as a hero for fighting for freedom. I hope that this website will be a source of comfort and encouragement for you during this difficult time, and in the future as you recall the memories of Dominique, who continues to live on in your heart."
Tim Rivera of Powder Springs, Georgia