Nicholas was the son of Gerrti A. & Margurite Van Ringlesteyn & immigrated to the U.S. BEFORE AGE 1; he had 1 brother, Gerritt A. JR. and grew up in Grand Rapids Michigan. He married Rhena Pauline Farnum of Grand Rapids on Oct. 25 , 1942 . On April 27 1943 he enlisted into the U.S. Navy Reserves ,Detroit Mich.. Upon completion of basic training & submarine school at Great Lakes, Ill., promoted to Quarter Master 3rd class, was assigned to the newly built submarine U.S.S. Barbel SS-316 at the S/M Base in New London,Ct.. In Dec.1943. the Barbell was commissioned on 3 April 1944 and he & Rhena attended the Commission Party at Polly's Inn along with the entire Officers & Crewmen.The Barbell left for it's 1st voyage to Pearl Harbor Hawaii in April & arrived 6/21/1944.Left there on 7/15/44 for their 1st war patrol.When in port were at Freemantle,Australia.The 1st 3 war partols were successful & the sub & crew credited with 10 stars.The Barbel left Freemantle,AUS. ON 1/5/1945 for a 4th war patrol to the So.China Sea in the area of the Philippines & Borneo.On 2/3/45 they radioed the U.S.S. Tuna & Blackfin subs patroling the area with them that their area was "buzzing " with Japanese air craft & had been attacked 3x's by depth charges & would radio again the following evening...... they never did.The other 2 subs tried for 48 hrs to reach the Barbel with no reply....it was now reported missing & on 2/14 was officially listed as all hands M.I.A..ON 14 FEB. 1946 Nick & all his crew mates were officially declared " presumed dead ". After the war when the U.S. military entered Japan, all military records found were reviewed.Records were found by a Japanese pilot that on 2/4/ 1945 he dropped 2 bombs on a sub in the same area the Barbel had last given their location of.The report went on to say that 1 bomb hit the sub near the bridge,the sub plunged under a cloud of fire & water spray and sunk...... this was the Barbel with all hands onboard. Neither Nick or any of the 81 crews remains were ever recovered... they remain " ON ETERNAL PATROL".On June 1,2010, a V.A. Gov't Veterans " In Memory " marker was placed on his wife's grave.
While alive, Nick earned the Submarine Combat Insignia and the Asiatic-Pacific Area Medal.After the crew was declared dead, he was awarded the Purple Heart, American Area Campaign Medal & again the Asiatic-Pacific Area Medal w/ 3 stars & the WW 11 Victory Medal.