Pierce John Leonard

My Father John Leonard Pierce
Isabel Pierce Ward

During the 2010 Freedom Celebration, Pilsen was graced by a very special visitor - Mrs. Isabel Pierce Ward, daughter of General John Leonard Pierce, Commander of the 16th Armored Division. Next to George Patton Waters, a regular visitor to the West Bohemian capital, she is another descendant of the famous men who liberated the Czech West in May 1945, who appeared in Pilsen after 1990.
John Leonard Pierce, General, United States Army, was born in Dallas, Texas, April 29, 1895, the son of Isabella (Archer) and Frank Cushman Pierce. He spent his childhood in Brownsville, a town on the Texas-Mexico border. He was the second oldest of six siblings. He joined the Army and was promoted to Lieutenant in the United States Infantry as early as June 1917. After World War I, he served in the Army of Occupation in Koblenz, Germany with the U.S. 8th Infantry Division.
He graduated from the West Texas Military Academy (later renamed the Texas Military Institute, San Antonio) and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University). During the 1920s and 1930s, while serving in the U.S. Army, he rose through the ranks, reaching the rank of brigadier general in June 1943. He was interested in modern concepts of blitzkrieg warfare and the development of armored units.
During World War II he held a number of important positions in the army. In 1941, he was commander of rear security of the 67th Tank Regiment of the 2nd Armored Division. A year later he became Chief of Staff of the II Armoured Corps. In early 1943 he commanded a battle group of the 9th Armored Division and in March of that year he took command of the “16th Armored”, with which he reached Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. The welcome of the men of Pierce's division was spectacular, and the sheer joy of the Czechoslovaks at the presence of the Americans gave an inkling of the significance of the American army's entry into the West Bohemian metropolis. Perhaps General Pierce himself said it best when he wrote to the Mayor of Pilsen, Dr. Hrbek, in May 1945: "Dear Mr. Hrbek, I would like to thank you and the patriotic citizens of Pilsen for the enthusiastic welcome that the officers and men of the 16th Armored Division received when they entered your city on Sunday, May 6, 1945. It was a pleasant and fitting end to our long journey from America. The happy faces of the men, women and children who greeted us were a clear reminder of the high ideals for which your people and ours fought. With sincere regards, John L. Pierce, Commanding Brigadier General, United States Army."
For his contributions in the fight against Nazism, he received numerous decorations, including the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, marking the second award of this medal, the Czechoslovak War Cross, as well as the Order of the White Lion. After World War II, John Leonard Pierce was appointed “President of the Secretary of War's Discharge Review Board”. He retired in Brownsville in 1946 and died in San Antonio on February 12, 1959. He was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
General Pierce was not only an excellent soldier, but also a father. Judge for yourself from the testimony of his daughter, Isabel Pierce Ward: "I had respect for my father when I was young. He was fun to be with, yet he had his serious side, for he wanted to teach my sister, brother and me to be courteous, honest and truthful just as he and my mother were. There was much to learn. He reminded us to sit up straight at the table, something I still struggle with today. We learned that it was wrong to judge a person by their race. My father was friendly and open to everyone. He was a kind man.
We always spent our summers happily. We used to go to the Texas border, to Brownsville, to visit my father's large family. We used to take trips to the beach and across the Rio Grande River to Mexico. When we returned home, we spent our days at the pool at the Army training center where we lived, and had picnics with my mother's and father's friends. At the time, I didn't even realize there was an economic crisis.
Growing up, my father always knew when I was going through a rough time. Without asking me if anything was wrong, he always found a way to cheer me up. Once, just as I was getting ready for a holiday dance, he gave me a white rabbit fur coat, the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen!
He was a good husband to my mother and father to my sister, Jessie Pierce Rousmaniere, to my now deceased brother, John Leonard Pierce Jr. and to me. Daddy loved us without openly showing it. I loved and admired him and it was hard for me to see him succumb to repeated strokes. He died in 1959 at only 64 years old."

From the book 500 Hours to Victory/500 Hours of Victory by Karel Foud, Milan Jíša, Ivan Rollinger