LTC Nicholas M. Mangus, 65, won his final battle on February 24, 2026,
surrounded by love and family.
Nick was born on September 24, 1960, in Bellefonte, PA, and was the middle
of three boisterous boys. The family eventually moved to Berwyn Heights, MD
where Nick grew up. Every summer was spent in their Allegheny National Forest
home on Brown Run, outside of Warren, PA — Nick's favorite place in the world.
Nick majored in Criminal Justice at Old Dominion University, where he met
Margee, a nursing student whose dad was in the Army. He earned an ROTC
scholarship, and after graduating was commissioned as an Army 2LT, Field
Artillery Officer.
Nick and Margee moved 12 times in his 23-year Army career, including tours
in Germany and Hawaii. He commanded Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 1st Field
Artillery during Operation Desert Storm and brought every one of his soldiers
home safely. "LTC Mangus exemplified the US Army core values of Loyalty,
Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage both
in and out of uniform."
Nick was working in the Pentagon on 9/11 and, in true Nick fashion, helped
wherever he could — soaking his beret in water as a makeshift dust mask while
checking smoke-filled corridors for his personnel.
After retirement, Nick helped his sons reach the rank of Eagle Scout, became
a marching band and cross country Dad, and volunteered hundreds of hours at
the boys' high school. Even as MS progressed, he went to every Penn State
home football game — snow, rain, or shine. For a guy stuck in a wheelchair
for the last 15 years of his life, Nick courageously packed a whole lot of
living into those years.
MS may have robbed him of his body, but his tenacity and spirit still shone
through every day. He was an inspiration to us all. He won, and is free at last.
