Flags lowered today to honor Army Sgt. Nickolas Mueller

November 7, 9:47 PMMadison Political Buzz ExaminerPeggy Williams

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Army Sgt. Nickolas Mueller

(AP Photo/Mueller Family via U.S. Army)

Army Sgt. Nickolas Mueller was laid to rest in Little Chute, Wisconsin today. The Wisconsin soldier died October 26, while serving his country in Afghanistan. He had sustained fatal injuries when the Chinook helicopter he was aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan.

Flags were lowered to half-staff around the state today in Mueller’s honor, by order of Gov. Jim Doyle. Mueller, 26, had been assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne). He had only been in Afghanistan since September.

Mueller was a 2002 graduate of Little Chute High School. According an Appleton Post-Crescent report, he had played football and wrestled on his school team. He also participated in the jazz and pep bands, sang in the choir, and took part in school musicals. He was the school’s 2001 homecoming king.

Mueller had enlisted in the army in June of 2004. He received his basic training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. He then went on to advanced training at Fort Eustis in Virginia. He served with the 2-52nd Aviation Battalion at Camp Humphries in South Korea, repairing helicopters. After joining the Special Operations Aviation Regiment he served as a flight engineer in Savannah, Georgia. He had had three combat deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was one of seven soldiers who died when his helicopter crashed in Afghanistan.

A visitation and funeral were held for Sgt. Mueller at Little Chute High School. The Appleton Post-Crescent reported that thousands were in attendance to honor the fallen soldier. Sgt. Nickolas Mueller is survived by his parents Sharon and Larry Mueller of Little Chute.