Nicholas Edward "Nick" Indra

Nicholas "Nick" Edward Indra, 78, of Newport News, Virginia, passed away peacefully on October 29, 2025, from a battle with cancer. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a highly respected United States Army Warrant Officer, Nick lived a life of honor, service, faith, and enduring love for his family.

Born in Osage, Iowa, to Carmela (Adams) and Benjamin Indra. He graduated from Osage Community High School in 1965, where he excelled as a three-sport athlete playing baseball, basketball, and football. He continued his education at Mason City Junior College, earning his associate degree in 1967, and later received a Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State College in 1969, proudly playing baseball throughout his collegiate years.

In 1970, Nick was drafted into the United States Army, beginning what would become a remarkable 34-year career in the Army Transportation Corps. He began his service in 1971 as an enlisted Army Watercraft Operator with the 469th Transportation Detachment, serving aboard the USAV LT. Col. John U.D. Page and completing 28 months in Vietnam. Nick's professionalism, technical expertise, and steady leadership led to his commissioning as a Warrant Officer in 1976 at Fort Eustis, Virginia, marking the start of a career that would span continents, commands, and decades.

Throughout his service, Nick held numerous key positions across the Army's global transportation network, including assignments in Rio Vista, California, Fort Eustis, Virginia, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He served as a Primary Instructor in celestial navigation and radar at the U.S. Army Transportation School at Rio Vista, later as Third Port Harbormaster at Fort Eustis, and as a Watercraft Operations Officer in Hawaii, where he oversaw maritime logistics and coordinated joint operations throughout the Pacific.

One of the defining highlights of his career was his command of the Logistics Support Vessel 4 (LSV-4). Under his leadership, the vessel and crew executed complex logistics and combat-support missions with precision and excellence. His command contributed directly to Operation Just Cause in Panama, and Desert Shield and Storm in the Persian Gulf, ensuring essential equipment and supplies reached deployed forces safely and efficiently. In his later years of service, Nick served as the Regimental Warrant Officer for the Transportation Corps at Fort Eustis, where he advised on training, personnel development, and mobility initiatives across the Army. He played a pivotal role in shaping the Mobility Warrant Officer Program and was proud to mentor hundreds of Warrant Officers who continued to lead with the integrity and professionalism he exemplified.

Following his retirement from active duty in 2004, Nick continued to serve the nation through his civilian work with Alion Science and Technology, supporting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

On July 24, 2014 in recognition of his extraordinary career and lasting influence on military logistics, Nick was inducted into the U.S. Army Transportation Corps Hall of Fame. This prestigious honor reflected his decades of visionary leadership and innovation in modernizing Army transportation systems, strengthening mobility capabilities, and improving the efficiency of global military operations.

While Nick was deeply proud of his military service, his greatest joy was his family. He shared 50 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Pamela, the love of his life and his steadfast companion through every chapter. A devoted and supportive father and grandfather, Nick cherished time spent with his family. He loved attending his grandchildren's activities, cheering them on from the sidelines or following along from afar. He also enjoyed watching and talking baseball, especially when it came to the New York Yankees and his favorite player, Aaron Judge.

Nick had a lifelong talent for woodcarving, a craft he began in high school. He found peace and fulfillment carving and painting decoys, owls, and shorebirds, each piece reflecting his patience, precision, and appreciation for nature. In recent years, Nick and Pamela treasured traveling together, especially enjoying cruises throughout the Caribbean.

Nick is survived by his wife, Pamela Indra; his children, Cricket Brewster (Shawn) and Casey Indra (Amanda); his grandchildren, Malia, Lauren, Benjamin, Ellie, Calvin, and Collin; and his siblings Mary Campbell (Bob), Lawrence Indra (Jeanette) and Peter Indra (Margie). He is preceded in death by his beloved son, Chad and his parents, Benjamin and Carmela. Nick will be remembered for his unwavering faith, his exemplary service to our nation, and the deep love he shared with his family. His legacy lives on in the Soldiers he led and mentored, the family he cherished, and the many lives he touched with kindness, strength, and humility.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Newport News, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jerome Catholic Church in his honor. The Service will be livestreamed on the St. Jerome Catholic Church – Newport News, VA Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/StJeromeNewportNews/ Streaming will begin just prior to the Service.