Nick Tisak looks more like an English officer born of privilege than of a combat-tested airborne ranger noncommissioned officer. In fact, with his distinguished mustache, sharp dress and swift gait he exudes a quiet confidence walking across the grounds of the US Soldiers' and Airmen's Home.
As he talks about growing up in  the quiet steel-mill town of Ambridge, Pa., Tisak's words paint a picture of Norman Rockwell's  America, where Saturday nights were spent walking Main Street and seeing the neighbors.
Tisak's father was a steelworker and "like most of the other 13,000 people in town they worked hard all day and drank and played hard at night ... everyone knew each other,"
Describing Ambridge Tisak said his hometown was "a typical melting pot situation ... we had Serbs, Croats, Irish, Italian and a lot of other diverse ethnic backgrounds in Ambridge," he said.
When World War II began for the United States, the Tisak family sent three sons into the military.
Since he was too young to serve in WWII, Tisak decided to join the Marine Corps a month before his 16th birthday and served in the Marines from 1946 to 1948.  After his enlistment was up Tisak decided to go back to the civilian world, but when the Korean War started he felt the pull of duty again.
"This time I joined the Army with the idea of going straight to jump school, and headed to Fort Benning," he said.
The instructors at the Airborne School made an impression on Tisak that lasted throughout his life.  "They were sharp, I tried to maintain the standards they set," he added.
After graduating jump school Tisak was assigned to the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, where he read a circular that said the Army was looking for volunteers to join the new Airborne Ranger companies being formed.
"The day before Thanksgiving 1950 I left for training, and it was some kind of training!" he said. "It was often grueling and agonizing, but the experience of being a Ranger changed me forever."
When the training ended, Tisak said the 8th Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne) shipped out for Korea in March 1951.  After 21 days at sea "mainly doing calisthenics and trying to get out of work details," he said laughing, the Rangers landed at the port of Pusan and were immediately attached to the veteran 24th Infantry Division.
Retired Colonel Bob Black who resides in Carlisle, Pa., and served with Tisak, in the 8th Rangers recalled the time the two spent in Korea.  "We promptly went into action [and] the night infiltration of Chinese lines will not be forgotten by those who participated," he said. "In a 10- man Ranger squad there were two men who carried Browning Automatic Rifles.  In the third squad of the third platoon Nick carried one and I carried the other," he said.
"On one occasion our 33-man platoon ambushed a Chinese force between the lines and killed 70 and wounded a number more.  Nick Tisak was in the forefront of that [fight]," he said.
Patrolling was a way of life for the Rangers, and most of the operations were conducted at night.
"We were young, not timid or fearful, although we should have been," Tisak said with a light chuckle. "The World War II veterans we had with us were kind of a stabilizing influence on us and I learned a lot from them," he added.
The constant patrolling led the Rangers into the heart of Chinese troops, and danger was a constant Tisak said the men learned to live with.  It was in April 1951 that the Rangers met one of the biggest tests they would have in the war.
"The 6th Republic of Korea Division broke [during the Chinese attack] and retreated 21 miles leaving the 24th Infantry Division's right flank exposed," said Black.  "All along the 24th's front fighting raged, but the right flank was quiet.  The division commander sent 90 Rangers over to see what was going on and we found a river of Chinese pouring down the flank," he said.
"Ordered to return we found a large Chinese force getting ready to attack the flank of an American regiment, we hit these people and they and their companion units opened up on us from three directions
"It was a considerable action with more Chinese units hurrying to the scene [and] we were ordered by the division commander to ‘Break out as best you can.' We found ourselves with many wounded, and we were not going to leave them behind!  Our radio operator (E.C. Rivera) volunteered to go to the top of a barren hill and establish contact with American tanks (from the 3rd Platoon, 6th Medium Tank Battalion) withdrawing in the valley below and Nick Tisak volunteered to go with him," Black said.
While Rivera was making contact, Tisak covered him, engaging the Chinese said Black.  After a time Tisak yelled "I got one in the leg!"
Thinking is odd that Tisak was so sure where he'd hit an enemy soldier, Rivera asked Tisak how he could be so positive it was his shot that hit the Chinese soldier in the leg.
"Tisak answered him by saying ‘Not him.....me!'  It was Tisak who had been shot in the leg!  He had taken a round in the leg," Black said.
After savage fighting and more casualties, the Rangers were able to link up with the armor, placing their wounded and dead on the tanks as the men with automatic weapons fought a rearguard action according to Black.  "A beautiful Corsair fighter arrived and dropped napalm on [the Chinese], so we lived to fight another day," he said.
After recovering from his injuries Tisak returned to the 8th Rangers to the relief of Black.  ""I was glad to see him, not only was he a good friend but he could make his weapon talk," Black said.
Finally it was time for Tisak to leave Korea and he returned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he managed to get a job working in the division legal office.  "At that time the Special Forces were starting up and my buddies from the 3rd, 5th and 8th Rangers were training with them and tried to encourage me to, but I said "Nahhhhh,' and got out when my enlistment was up. I went home to raise a family," he said.
Now living at the Home Tisak said this is his family and he has nothing but good feelings and kind words for it.  "When I got here I was not in good shape.  They fed me good, fixed my teeth, fixed my stomach ulcers ... just the fact that I am able to live in a near stress-free place helped get me back into good physical and mental health.  This place, this U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home,  has been a godsend," he said.