Sammy A. Pierce

Sammy A. Pierce AYDEN - Lt. Col. Sammy A. Pierce, USAF (RET), died on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, at his home. Sammy was born Aug. 25, 1921, in the Rountree Community to Sam and Burruss Sauls Pierce. He graduated from Ayden High School in 1938 and entered the Army National Guard in Greenville. He attended North Carolina State University for one and a half years before entering the Army Air Corps. He was a student in pilot training in Enid, Okla., when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. After pilot training, Sammy was promoted from corporal to flying sergeant and was assigned to the 8th Pursuit Squadron in the Pacific Theater. He attained three confirmed kills and two probables flying P-40s before bailing out of a P-40 due to weather over the Owen Stanley Mountains in New Guinea. He landed between two Japanese divisions, but he evaded capture by traveling at night and managed to reach an Australian beachhead. He injured his shoulder during the bail-out and was hospitalized in Australia. He was sent to the U.S. to complete his recovery. He returned to his squadron, converted to P-38s and was given a direct commission as a 2nd lieutenant. He flew during the remaining campaigns from New Guinea through the Philippines to Japan and achieved four more confirmed kills and three and a half probables. He flew over 270 combat missions, attained the status of "Ace" and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Purple Hearts and five Air Medals. Sammy loved flying and decided to make a career in the Air Force. Following WWII, he attended a USAF engineering school and spent the next 18 years in engineering jobs while flying a variety of aircraft that included the P-51, B-17, B-25, T-33 and C-47. He built and maintained air bases and facilities throughout the U.S., Europe and North Africa. He retired from the USAF in 1963 as a lieutenant colonel. Sammy took a civilian job as engineering manager for Tumpane Co. and spent several years as a contractor to the USAF. He was responsible for the maintenance of our air bases in Turkey and built new bases in Saudi Arabia for their government. An engineer friend of his inherited two restaurants in Florida and asked Sammy to help him manage them. He agreed and helped expand the business to 18 restaurants before retiring and moving home to Ayden. Another old friend asked Sammy to come out of retirement to build the Air Force Village in San Antonio, Texas, a retirement home for Air Force personnel. Sammy retired again after completing this project and returned to Ayden, but continued working as a consultant for his friend, John Roberts, at his business in Winterville. At the end of WWII, Sammy married Frances Sawyer of Ayden, daughter of Anson and Rena Tingle Sawyer (Anson was the City Manager of Ayden for many years). They had six children: Sammy and his wife, Betty, of Hobe Sound, Fla., Rick and his wife, Deb, of Enterprise, Ala., Jeanne Vogt and her husband, Tom, of Newnan, Ga., Doug and his wife, Carol, of La Place, La., Nancy Russell of Ayden, and Don of Port St. Lucie, Fla. Frances preceded Sammy in death in 1987. Sammy then married Dorothy "Dot" Gibbs Crouch of Ayden and has three step-children, Deborah Pierce of Enterprise, Ala., Cindy Uhlman and her husband, Richard, of Wilmington and Butch Crouch and his wife, Maureen, of Kinston. In addition to his widow and nine children, Sammy is survived by brothers, Raymond of Casa Grande, Ariz., and Bill of Grayson, Ga.; his mother-in-law, Irene Gibbs of Rocky Mount, Va.; brothers-in-law, David Gibbs of Bassett, Va., Roger Gibbs of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gerry Gibbs of Martinsville, Va.; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Sammy was the first Eagle Scout in Ayden and later spent several years supporting the Boy Scouts as a scoutmaster. He was a member of several organizations involving flying and the Air Force, including the Fighter Aces Association, the Order of Daedalions and was former president of the Fifth Air Force Memorial Foundation and was post commander of VFW Post 6062 in Ayden. He participated in Meals on Wheels, coached little league baseball, helped organize the Ayden Christian Care Center, was a deacon in the Ayden First Baptist Church, taught Sunday school for several years, and was a member of the Family Baptist Church. In recognition of his many contributions to his country and community, Sammy was selected to receive Ayden's "Highest Hero" award in 2006. Sammy led a very full, exciting life. To his family and friends he will always epitomize the concepts of courage, integrity and honor. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Farmer's Funeral Home in Ayden. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Family Baptist Church, the Ayden Christian Care Center or a charity of your choice. Email condolences to farmercondolence@embarqmail.com.