Nicholas James, doctor and Vietnam combat medic, dies
Dr. Nicholas James, a longtime Hempstead doctor who served as a combat medic in Vietnam, died last month at age 71 in Denver, Pennsylvania.
James was born in Manhattan and grew up in Brooklyn and Queens. His wife, Carole Roberts Bennett, said he was inspired to go into medicine after his father died of a heart attack when James was 8 years old.
James attended public schools, where he excelled in science, his wife said. After training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he was sent to Vietnam. There, James' helicopter was shot down, he was shot multiple times and suffered 32 broken bones, his wife said.
When he returned stateside, James finished high school and attended Hofstra University at the same time, his wife said. He went to Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine on the GI Bill and completed his residency at Nassau Hospital, now NYU Winthrop, in Mineola.
James practiced internal medicine and cardiology for 42 years, his wife said, and half his patients came from Hempstead and half from Garden City. He never denied treatment to anyone who couldn’t pay or lacked insurance, she said.
“He was one of a kind,” Bennett said. “He was full of life and honest. He loved his work and saved a lot of lives.”
James retired in 2017 and moved with his wife to Pennsylvania, where they planned to “live an idyllic country life,” Bennett said. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, but became restless and missed medicine, she said.
He died April 10 of cancer in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. A private memorial service will be held May 25 in Pennsylvania.
In addition to his wife, survivors include sisters Lisa Alexander and Virginia Chirella, both of Port St. Lucie, Florida; daughters Amanda James and Amelia James, both of Selden, and Samantha James of Long Island; son Nicholas James of Texas; and stepson Michael Bennett.
Family members asked for contributions to be made to Disabled American Veterans.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
