Richard Earl Pierson

Richard Earl "Dick" Pierson passed away peacefully on September 18, 2015 in Roseville, CA. He was born on November 11, 1934 in Glendale, CA. He is survived by his wife of 60 years Roberta (Jones) Pierson; his brother Allen Pierson; three sons, Mark (Rebekah), Scott (Connie), and Jeff (Hillary); seven grandchildren, Courtney (Michael), Ian (Nikki), Adam (Karyssa), Ashley (Brian), Karli, Payton and Patrick; and three great-grandchildren, Brycen, Sasha and Rowan; and niece Joni and nephew Daniel. He was preceded in death by his parents Karl Edward Pierson and Irene Josephine Barnett and identical twin brother Donald Karl Pierson. After graduating from Burbank High School in 1952, Dick enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at age 17. At age 19, he was accepted into Aviation Cadet training and ordered to Lackland AFB for pilot training. Following primary pilot training in Georgia and Bryan, Texas, Dick was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1955. Dick then married his fiancee Roberta Jones on May 21, 1955 in Carmichael, CA. Dick retired from the Air Force with the rank of Lt. Colonel after 21 years of service in 1973. He was a Command Pilot with 4,500 hours of flying time. He flew many different airplanes during his career including the T-33A Shooting Star (T-Bird), T-28D, C-141A Star Lifter, O-1F Bird Dog and O-2A. While in the Air Force, Dick graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 1962. He also served for three assignments in Vietnam in 1963 with the Air Commandos flying the T-28D, in 1967 as a Forward Air Controller flying the O-1F from Thailand into Laos and North Vietnam and again in 1971 conducting an operational test of a camouflage detector in the O-2A. His awards included two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Meritorious Service Medals, 14 Air Medals, and the Vietnam Service Medal with four campaign stars, among others. After retiring from the Air Force, Dick moved to Roseville, CA. He then worked as an Electrical Engineer with the California Energy Commission involving electrical transmission lines and with their Solar Office, then with Pierson & Associates as a solar consultant, then as Energy Manager at Mather Air Force Base, and then with the California Department of Conservation as Enforcement Manager for the California Aluminum Recycling Program. He retired from the State of California in 1994 after 10 years. Following his second retirement, Dick became involved in gravity research. He has authored several books including "Directional Gravity, the World's Future Energy Source." At the time of his death, he was writing the "Flying into History" volumes which contain biographies of his pilot training Class 55-N. A private family graveside service will be held at Green Valley Cemetery in Rescue, CA where he will be interred next to his twin brother Don.