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Emmett Duane (aka Top, Rosy, Coach) Nolan, a true American Hero who represented all that is great about the ‘greatest generation’ departed this life on December 17, 2019 in Camarillo, California at the age of 94.
He was born September 11, 1925 to Robert Emmett Nolan and Parlee Nichols Nolan on the family farm in the Wauhillau community near Stilwell, Oklahoma, the youngest of 11 children. Emmett never knew his father. On the very day of his birth his father was gravely injured in an accident en route to fetch the local midwife, Granny Worley. Robert died three days later.
Over the course of his life Emmett was labeled with several nicknames, the first being Cottontop, given to him as a child due to his having a mop of nearly white curly hair. That name eventually was shortened to just Top, the name his extended family called him his entire life.
Top was a 1943 graduate of Stilwell High School where he played football for Coach Goob Arnold. Because he often had no transportation back to Wauhillau after football practice, the Arnolds would shelter him overnight, feeding him well (Top would say extra-well).
Upon his graduation from SHS, with WWII raging, Top immediately enlisted in the US Army. He volunteered for the Army’s new parachute division, the 101st Airborne. After training at Ft. Benning, Georgia the division was shipped to England where together with the 82nd Airborne they trained for the upcoming Normandy invasion on D-Day.
In the early hours of June 6, 1944, in the dark of night prior to the beach assault, both divisions parachuted into Normandy. Top was 19 years old. The divisions fought throughout the rural French countryside for 40 days against fierce German resistance after which they returned to England to regroup and prepare for the next European invasion.
The 101st and 82nd were attached to the British 2nd Army to invade and liberate the Netherlands. After 70 days in Holland both divisions joined the U.S. 1st Army near Rheims, France. In December 1944, under General George Patton, they fought in the Battle of the Bulge near Bastogne, Belgium. On a freezing December morning, his cheeks ablaze from the cold, Emmett crawled out of a foxhole and was greeted by a soldier’s pronouncement, “There’s ol’ Rosy Cheeks!” The nickname stuck and thereafter he was known as Rosy (except by the family). In Bastogne, after 40 days of sub-freezing temperatures, Rosy suffered severe frostbite to both feet, the painful results of which he dealt with for the remainder of his life.
After the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ the 101st moved to the 7th Army forces in southern Germany to capture Bertchesgaden and Hitler’s hideout, ‘Eagle’s Nest.’
After the war ended in May 1945 the 101st and 82nd occupied southern Germany and Austria until December 1945. They then returned to the States, sailing into New York Harbor on the Queen Mary and marched in New York City’s Victory in Europe tickertape parade on Fifth Avenue.
After being discharged in January 1946 Rosy took advantage of the G.I. Bill and entered Northeastern State College at Tahlequah where he played football and earned a B.S. degree in physical education. He married a young Tahlequah school teacher, Zoe Parthenia Covington, on March 7, 1947. They both taught school and Rosy also coached high school athletics. He joined the Oklahoma National Guard, the 45th Infantry Division of Thunderbirds. That division was the first to be activated at the outbreak of the Korean War.
After the Korean conflict Rosy returned to Oklahoma, attending the University of Oklahoma, playing football and coaching on Coach Bud Wilkinson’s staff. That year marked the beginning of OU’s famous 47- game winning streak.
Upon completing his Master’s degree, Rosy returned to high school coaching, teaching at Pawhuska, OK and Tulsa Central High School. He and his family relocated to California in 1965 where he was teacher-coach at Oxnard, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park High Schools. In 1995 Rosy and Zoe, with a combined total of 90 years as educators, retired from teaching. They spent their remaining years growing avocados and orchids on property adjacent to their Camarillo home, which they enjoyed selling at farmers’ markets in the area. On their very first Sunday in Camarillo in 1965 they attended services at Camarillo Church of Christ where they remained as lifelong active members.
Rosy continued to take pleasure in his main interests: football, especially the Sooners, and raising Salers cattle. The Nolan homeplace at Wauhillau, under Rosy’s oversight, remains an active cattle operation.
A patriot to his core, Rosy dedicated untold hours of his spare time encouraging and speaking to students, incarcerated youth, and youth groups on the importance of freedom, the military, education and responsibility.
A few of Captain Nolan’s awards from a long list include the European Ribbon with three Battle Stars, two Presidential Citations with Oak Leaf Clusters, the Korean Freedom Medal and Parachute Wings with Two Stars. At the 2005 Red, White & Blue Military Ball held at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library, Captain Nolan was honored as Patriotic Citizen of the Year by the Military Order of the World Wars and awarded the Silver Patrick Henry Medallion.
Rosy was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 62 years, Zoe, on June 14, 2009; his brothers Fate Nolan, Stilwell; Cooney Nolan, Gypsum CO; Bob Nolan, Ponca City; Jake Nolan, Stilwell; Gene Nolan, Littleton, CO; sisters:Regina Fink and Reba Diss, Tulsa; Birdie Goss, Stilwell; Edith Padgett, Sapulpa; and Erma Davidson, Loveland, CO.
Rosy is survived by his daughter, Linda (Jim) Williamson and his son Dan (Sue) Nolan both of Camarillo; grandsons Chris Troxell, Tucson AZ; Matt (Katherine) Mays and Cory Mays, Camarillo; Ryan Mays, Los Angeles; Justin (Nina) Nolan, Moodys, OK and Sam Nolan along with several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services with full military honors were held on December 28, 2019 at Conejo Mountain Funeral Home in Camarillo. The Rev. Jack Burch officiated. Burial was beside his beloved Zoe at Conejo Mountain Cemetery.
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