Harry Otto Pierce goes to the sky.

After a six year hitch in the Navy during WWII, where he was a radio Operator 1st class (1940-1945). At the age of 17 he made E-4 before many sailors in that era. After the "A" bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, he was discharged along with many thousand of other Army, Navy & Marines.

He reenlisted May of 1951 during the Korean War. He was sent to San Marcos, AFB, Texas where he started his flight training. They put him in a canvas covered, 60 hp, Aeronca, L-16, Grasshopper. The plane had a maximum speed of 80 mph, just enough to keep it in the air. He made his solo flight in the L-16 after many, many hours in the air with an instructor. Harry was to learn he bulk of his Army Aviation skills seated in this fragile plane. He learned to fly, directed by beacons and land marks.

Fort Sill, OK was the next in a long line of assignments for Uncle Harry. He learned advanced navigation and technical armament directioning.