John Leonard Pierce (April 25, 1895 – February 12, 1959) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

officer with the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. He is most noted as a commander of the 16th Armored Division during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Early years

John Leonard Pierce was born on April 25, 1895, in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

, as the son of lawyer, Frank Cushman Pierce and his wife, Isabella. Pierce attended the

West Texas Military Academy TMI Episcopal is a private school in San Antonio. Previously known as Texas Military Institute, TMI is a selective coeducational Episcopal college preparatory school with a military tradition in San Antonio, Texas for boarding and day students. ...

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, and subsequently

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

and then joined the Army in June 1917. Subsequently served during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. After war, Pierce served with 8th Infantry Division within Occupation forces in

Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. After return to the United States, Pierce stayed in the Army and was interested in mobile warfare and the development of armor.

World War II

At the beginning of World War II, Pierce served as a Deputy Chief of Staff of the 3rd Armored Division under command of Major general Alvan C. Gillem. One year later, Pierce was transferred to the II Armored Corps (later redesignated as the

XVIII Airborne Corps The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America ...

), where he served as Chief of Staff. In June 1943, Pierce was promoted to the rank of

and was appointed a Chief of Staff of Armored Command. He stayed in this capacity until September 1944, when he was transferred to

Camp Chaffee Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center is an Army National Guard installation in western Arkansas, adjacent to the city of Fort Smith. Established as Camp Chaffee in 1941, renamed to Fort Chaffee in 1956, Fort Chaffee has served as a Unite ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

, where he assumed command of 16th Armored Division. He replaced major general

Douglass T. Greene Major General Douglass Taft Greene (April 23, 1891 – June 16, 1964) was a United States Army officer during World War II. He served as commanding general of the 16th Armored Division and the 12th Armored Division during their training in the ...

in this capacity. Pierce arrived with his 16th Armored Division in Europe in February 1945 and participated in combats in

and

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

. Pierce commanded the division during the liberation of Pilsen. For his service during World War II, general Pierce was awarded with

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

with

Oak Leaf Cluster An oak leaf cluster is a ribbon device to denote preceding decorations and awards consisting of a miniature bronze or silver twig of four oak leaves with three acorns on the stem. It is authorized by the United States Armed Forces for a speci ...

by the government of the United States and with

Order of the White Lion The Order of the White Lion ( cs, Řád Bílého lva) is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners (Czechoslovakia had no civilian decoration for its ...

and with War Cross by the government of the

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

for his merits during liberation of Western Bohemia.

Life after War

Pierce was subsequently transferred back to the United States, where he was appointed the President of the Secretary of War's Discharge Review Board. He served in this capacity until 1946, when he retired from the Army. Brigadier general John Leonard Pierce died at the age of 63 at his home in

, and is buried at

Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in the city of San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses , and as of 2014, had over 144,000 interme ...

together with his wife, Kate Bodine Pierce (1895 - 1988).

Decorations

Here is Brigadier general Pierce´s ribbon bar:

Gallery

File:BG John L. Pierce, with his daughter, Isabel.jpg, John L. Pierce as a Captain, with his newborn daughter, Isabel. File:BG John L. Pierce, his daughter, Isabel,WAVES.jpg, Brigadier General John L. Pierce and his daughter, Isabel, during her swearing-in ceremony for

WAVES Waves most often refers to: *Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass. * Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water. Waves may also refer to: Music * Waves (ban ...

(Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). File:MG John Leonard, Col. Albert Kelly and BG John L. Pierce.jpg, Major General John W. Leonard ( 9th Armored Div.), Colonel Albert Kelly and Brigadier General John L. Pierce ( 16th Armored Div.) on the wartime photo. File:BG John L. Pierce, George S. Patton at the Pilsen airport.jpg, Brigadier General John L. Pierce, welcoming General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

at the Pilsen airport, May 1945.

References