 VERSATILE AIRMAN
MSgt. Nicholas Schussler (right), Bethlehem, is shown being congratulated for his all-around accomplishments by Lt. Col. Charles Williams, commander, 1503rd Operations Squadron, Tokyo International Airport, Japan.
Sgt. Schussler, who has been stationed in Japan since April 1953, has an enviable record behind him dating back to 1942.
Stationed with the 1503rd Air Transport Wing. Pacific Division, Military Transport Service, Schussler has combined sports with education in addition to his regular duty. Recently he was graduated from the Officers Transportation Course and the Officers Candidate School.
In 1944 Sgt. Schussler graduated from the military government school. Since that time he has completed work of Military Interrogation School, Radio Code School, Radio mechanics course, Parachute Jump School, receiving his wings for completing 35 jumps, and the Heavy Equipment Operators School. Now he is studying the officer's
electronics communications course.
He is Far East Air Force handball champion, member of the Tokyo Airport doubles badminton team champions, coach of the 1053rd Operations Squadron basketball team which holds the intramural championship, and also coached the doubles handball champions.
Outside of the classroom and gym he is a radio maintenance technician with the operations squadron. Before coming to Tokyo he served in Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium and Berlin. He spent five years in Alaska as a member of the traveling maintenance crew.
Sgt. Schussler, who is 43 years old, is expected to come back to the United States in December and will join his wife, Margaret, who resides at 627 5th Ave., Bethlehem. Official USAF Photo
[The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, 27 Jul 1954, Tue, Page 5] |
 
Elderly couple robbed in home
By TAD MILLER Of The Morning Call
An elderly Bethlehem couple were held at gunpoint in
their bedroom for about an hour early yesterday as robbers ransacked two
floors of their home and made off with about $500 cash and two guns,
police report. Nicholas Schussler, 75, and his wife, Margaret, 69, of
627 Fifth Ave., were asleep when two robbers entered their bedroom at
about 1:22 a.m., Schussler said. He awoke to see a bright flashlight
beam in his face and heard a male voice say, "Don't move. Pull the
covers over your head. If you don't, I'll blow your brains out!"
Schussler said his wife complied. "My wife was deathly afraid," he told
an interviewer, noting that his wife had a stroke some years ago. "I
thought she was going to die." Despite threats, Schussler said that he
and his wife were not struck or injured, but he said the muzzle of a gun
was put against his head. Schussler said one robber, a male, had what
appeared to be a sawed-off shotgun, while the other robber, possibly a
female or a young male with a higher voice, threatened the couple with a
handgun. "He pointed that gun at me and said he was going to blow my
brains out," Schussler said. "I said, 'Go ahead. I'm an old man; I don't
have [Please See GUNPOINT Page B3]
[GUNPOINT Continued From Page B1]
"long
to live.] I thought he was going to clout me. I got kind of lippy
with him." Schussler said the gunman threatened to "blow my head off at
least four times.
The male robber moved to the nightstand beside the bed. He dug
through lingerie and found Schussler's handgun. Schussler said that
although the handgun was covered, somehow the robber knew it was there.
Schussler, a retired career serviceman and gun collector, said the
robber also knew that other guns were kept under the bed. He took two of
those also and some money that was lying out in the open.
The male gunman eventually moved on to ransack other portions of
the house and took other money, while the other robber stood watch over
the couple.
Not knowing that one of the robbers took his handgun from the
nightstand, Schussler said he inched toward the drawer and reached for
the gun to try and capture the robber, but the gun was already gone.
"If I'd have got it, I'd have pulled it out quick and tried to save
something," he asserted. "If I can catch people I will.
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"I wasn't afraid as much as I was mad that I had to lay there and
couldn't do nothing," he added. "It was quite an episode. But what can
you do? I was flat on my back with a muzzle pointed at me." Some time later, Schussler noticed that there was no longer anyone
standing in the room. After seeing no one in the hallway, he decided to
try to sneak out his second-floor window and run to the neighbors (the
robbers had ripped the phone from the wall) to call police. "I thought,
'Here goes all hell'," he said.
He said he climbed out his kitchen window onto the roof, then
jumped onto a lower roof connected to the other half of the double home.
He tried to slide down a downspout but that collapsed, and he fell to
the ground, injuring his legs.
Schussler said he was in his underwear and his legs hurt from the
fall, but, "When you're under such conditions, pain doesn't matter."
He said he next ran up a fire escape to the second floor of
neighbors at 625 Fifth Ave. where he banged on the door. Schussler said
he wanted to wake them but not alert the robbers if they remained in his
house, as he feared.
He called police at 2:22 a.m., and they arrived within two minutes.
Schussler said there was no forced entry into the home. He said he
has many locks on the front and back doors and always checks that they
are secure. "If it wasn't locked, it was one in a million," he said of
the back door.
A city police bulletin described the first suspect as a 5-foot
11-inch male, 150 pounds who wore a ski mask, possibly with a tassel on
it. The second was thought to be a woman, short and about 115 pounds,
who wore a gray coat with a maroon scarf and a stocking mask.
No vehicle was seen or heard leaving the scene. Schussler said
neighbors at 629 Fifth Ave. heard noises from his home but thought they
were from normal activity.
Schussler said that only one key to the house exists besides the
one that he and his wife have, and that key was in the possession of a
relative.
He also noted that although several other valuables were visible,
such as watches, jewelry and cameras, none was touched.
The Morning Call. Allentown, PA, 18 Jan 1987, Sun. Pages 7 & 8] |
Nicholas registered for the draft in Allentown, PA on
16 June 1942 and later enlisted in the Army at Philadelphia, PA.
On 17 February 1945, Pfc Schussler was transferred
from the 509th PIR to Hq 2nd, 508th PIR.
He was transferred, in grade, to the 504th PIR on 20
October 1945.
Pfc Nicholas Schussler. of Allentown PA, was reported
as being aboard a ship that landed at Newport News, VA on 27 December
1945. [source: The Morning Call, Allentown,
PA, 28 Dec 1945, Fri, Page 5]
On 5 January, 1946 he was reported as having been
discharged, [source: The Morning Call,
Allentown, PA, 06 Jan 1946, Sun Page 10]
However, on 2 April 1946, Nicholas re-enlisted in the
army but transitioned to the United States Air Force after it was
created in September of the following year.
He remained in the Air Force until he retired.
On 2 February 1955, his wife Margaret, was listed oh
the manifest of the USS General Mitchell, as departed Seattle, WA bound
for Yokohama, Japan.
Nicholas died on 15 December 1987 and both he and his
wife. who preceded him, are buried in Plot 2-14,-2A-3, Holy Saviour
Cemetery, Bethlehem (Northampton county), Pennsylvania.
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