Heywood Pierce USAF Ltc Ret.

Colonel Pierce was born in Onslow County, near Wilmington, North Carolina on December 2, 1919. After attending school there, he attended Florida Jacksonville Junior College and the University of Miami, enlisting in the Army Air Corps in 1942.

He was commissioned a year later and spent the early part of his military career in training, education and administration.

During a large part of his remaining career, he was assigned to a highly classified organization at Headquarters USAF, but entirely separate from it, with its own command structure comprised of many, mostly small, world-wide units. This required his travel throughout the western world and the Far East.

In 1966, he was assigned as Commander of the Middle East Postal and Courier Region with headquarters in Tehran, Iran. This encompassed further travel from India to east Africa.

He acquired the usual accolades and awards which culiminated with the presentation of the Legion of Merit at his retirement ceremony. After which he worked for the State of Texas Comptroller for ten years.

In April 1971, he retired from the Pentagon to Lake McQueeney, Texas, where he and his wife, Vera, built their home and lived until it was sold in August 1998.

She succumbed to Alzheimer's disease and in 2000, Vera preceded him in death.

He is survived by daughters: Lynn Pierce Chapman and her husband, Larry, of Georgia and Patsy Pierce Trybus of Maryland; grandchildren: Kim Hindmon, Kirk Searl, Heather Herrin, Holli Bice, and Heidi Chapman; five great grandchildren and his sister, Mrs. Madlon Glover of Florida; as well as his dutiful companion, Elizabeth Gillaspie of San Antonio.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either Freedom House or a charity of choice.