--- title: HR 1496. Nichols, Robert Elmo, Sr.; honoring the life and legacy; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1496 cite_as: HR 1496, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1496 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1496.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1496/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73686 date: 2026-02-25 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1495.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1497.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1496.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1496 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-25 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Eric Bell - Angela Moore - Dexter Sharper - Gabriel Sanchez - Dewey McClain text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1496/2025 upstream_id: 2124760 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - honorary resolution - military history - Montford Point Marines - Georgia House of Representatives --- # HR 1496. Nichols, Robert Elmo, Sr.; honoring the life and legacy; condolences ## Text House Resolution 1496 By: Representatives Bell of the 75th, Moore of the 91st, Sharper of the 177th, Sanchez of the 42nd, and McClain of the 109th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and legacy of Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr.; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, from 1798 until 1942, African Americans were denied the opportunity to serve in the United States Marine Corps; and WHEREAS, in 1942, under a presidential directive issued by Franklin D. Roosevelt, African American men were finally allowed to enlist in the Marine Corps, becoming known as the Montford Point Marines-the first Black Marines in American history; and WHEREAS, Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr. was born on September 23, 1923, in Norfolk, Virginia, to the late Jeffrey Napoleon Nichols and Maggie Sykes Nichols; and WHEREAS, a proud graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, Class of 1943, Robert, affectionately known as "Elmo," answered the call to serve his country during World War II and became one of the pioneering African Americans recruited into the Marine Corps; and WHEREAS, he was assigned to the 54th Defense Battalion at Montford Point, the segregated training facility established for Black Marine recruits in Jacksonville, North Carolina; and WHEREAS, following his honorable service in World War II, Robert continued his pursuit of excellence by attending Virginia State College, where he earned a degree in Business Administration and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps; and WHEREAS, while serving as an elementary school teacher, he continued his distinguished military career and ultimately retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; and WHEREAS, Robert further devoted 34 years of service to the Norfolk Naval Supply Center, exemplifying dedication, professionalism, and commitment to public service; and WHEREAS, in 2011, Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr., along with his fellow Montford Point Marines, received the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, D.C., a long-overdue national recognition of their courage, sacrifice, and historic role in reshaping the United States military; and WHEREAS, Robert E. Nichols, Sr.'s life stands as a testament to perseverance, leadership, integrity, and trailblazing service that helped break racial barriers and pave the way for future generations of Marines and service members. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and legacy of Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr., and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors the life of Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr., a Montford Point Marine and Norfolk Naval Supply Center employee, and offers condolences to his family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives commemorates Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr., who was born in 1923 in Norfolk, Virginia and became one of the first African Americans allowed to join the United States Marine Corps after a 1942 policy change under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He trained at Montford Point in North Carolina, later earned a degree and an Army Reserve commission, taught elementary school, and worked 34 years at the Norfolk Naval Supply Center. In 2011 he received the Congressional Gold Medal alongside other Montford Point Marines. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally expresses the House's condolences on his passing and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to his family. ### What it does - Formally states that the Georgia House of Representatives honors the life and legacy of Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr. - Expresses the House's sincere regret and condolences on his passing. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to his family. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors Robert Elmo Nichols, Sr. and his family, who will receive a copy of it. It has no regulatory effect on the broader public, businesses, or government agencies. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial consequences; it is a formal, symbolic statement by the Georgia House recognizing an individual's life, military service as a Montford Point Marine, and civilian career, and offering condolences to his family. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount Nichols's birth, education, Marine Corps service at Montford Point, Army Reserve career, teaching career, and 34 years at the Norfolk Naval Supply Center. - The resolved clause has the House join in honoring his life and legacy and expressing regret at his passing. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-25) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-02-25) - Sponsors: Eric Bell, Angela Moore, Dexter Sharper, Gabriel Sanchez, Dewey McClain - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73686 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1496.md?full=1