Cletys Idell Nordin's Obituary
Cletys Idell Nordin, 98, passed Tuesday, March 14 at home surrounded by family.
Cletys was born March 2, 1925, in London, Arkansas to Alta Leona and William Lee Nordin. He grew up in the Porum OK area of Muskogee County. As a farm kid, he wasn’t able to finish school, but was given an honorary diploma from Porum High School with the Class of 2012.
After being turned down in 1943 for deployment to WWII, because of a medical condition, he was drafted in 1947, sent to Ft. Chaffee, and on to the Korean War. He was assigned as a rifleman to K Company, 19th Regiment of the 24th Infantry.
The US had a shortage of trained soldiers and only worn-out WWII equipment. Occupying forces in Japan were rushed to Korea until the draft could supply more soldiers. These brave men had old weapons, duds among the ammunition, and no cold-weather gear. Like most of the 7,140 American prisoners during the Korean War Private 1st class Cletys Nordin was captured during the first 6 months he was there. It was New Year’s Day 1951. After starting a 600-mile march with a gunshot wound to his leg, walking only at night, in fridged winter temperatures and heavy snow Cletys and 1500-2000 other GIs arrived at POW Camp #5 on March 6. He spent 974 days as a Prisoner of War.
In July of 1953, the men were told they would be released. “Operation Big Switch” would mean the release of 3,597 POWs. After a two-week delay for Red Cross inspections of the camp, the men were loaded into trucks, then crammed into railroad cattle cars, then trucked again, finally reaching Freedom Village in Pan Mun Jom on August 23, 1953. They were loaded on a ship for medical evaluation, and treatment. After eating the equivalent of chicken feed for 3 years they had to slowly be transitioned real food, and of course the Army wanted a full debriefing. It took three months to get home. When the ship finally reached the port in San Francisco it was Labor Day weekend. The union would not allow the ship the dock because of the holiday. Able to see their families on the dock, the GIs had to wait aboard the ship for Tuesday before they were allowed to enter the port and disembark.
Cletys was awarded two Good Conduct metals, the Cross of Valor, a Prisoner of War medal, The Purple Heart, a UN Service Medal, the Korean Service Metal, the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, A National Defense Service Metal Presidential Citation, and the Korean Service Metal.
When he returned home to Oklahoma, he was ready to return to work and normal living. He went to work for Skelly Oil Company as an Internal Auditor. His mother suggested he try to meet the cute little red-haired waitress at the local diner. As always, mother always knows best! After a whirlwind romance, Cletys and Linda Boss got married in Tahlequah Ok, on March 19, 1954.
Over the next thirty-some years as Cletys’ career advanced with Skelly Oil, Getty Oil, and Texaco. The Nordins moved where the company needed them to include, Iowa, Kansas and back to Oklahoma. Linda tended to the home fires while Clet traveled to the various service stations, storage facilities, and warehouses that needed an audit report. He participated in several criminal investigations that sent corporate thieves to prison. He became a Senior Auditor and was chosen to personally train the majority of the auditors working for Skelly and Getty, and he eventually wrote the training manual Getty Oil Company used for all new auditors. When computers changed the system, his methods were integrated into the new policies and procedures.
When he retired in 1986 Cletys never missed a beat- he started a second career, one that never paid a dime, assisting veterans and their widows through the veteran’s benefits process which, in the days before the internet involved not only a tenacious spirit but travel to offices to meet with government employees, to scour records warehouses and writing letters without end. His mission was to make sure that veterans and their families were granted the support they were entitled to. His huge heart devoted countless hours to this passion project-- and he changed lives with his desire to make sure these men and their families were able to make ends meet. With Linda by his side, they made a dynamic duo.
Cletys was very active in the American Ex-POWs organization as well as the Korean War Ex-POW Tulsa Chapter, and the Purple Heart Tulsa Chapter. He and Linda served many years as volunteers at the Claremore Veterans Center.
Our friend Cletys Nordin was a big-hearted, feisty fellow who worked hard, played hard, drove fast, loved his family, was a champion for anyone being mistreated or in need, he was a natural leader of men, was adored by children -- he was brave and smart, a proud American and heck of a fine man. His laugh and love, his humor, and his easy manner lives in all of us as we remember his part in our lives and how we are better for the time we spent in his company.
Cletys is proceeded in death by his parents and his brothers, Chester and Don Nordin, and his sister Gladys May. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Linda, and a long list of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
The viewing will be held Monday, March 20, 5:00-7:00 pm. His funeral service will be held Tuesday, March 21 at 12:30 pm in the Floral Haven Chapel with a gathering at the Family Center immediately following. The service will be live-streamed at 12:30 pm CDT and available on the Floral Haven website for 90 days. To view the funeral service you may click on the link https://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/86038
In lieu of flowers please send donations to the Military History Center in Broken Arrow, OK. http://okmhc.org/donate/ 112 North Main, Broken Arrow OK 74012 918-794-2712
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