An Airman's Story: Sergeant Lester Herman Scearce Jr.



Born on May 22,1925, in Danville, Virginia, Sergeant Lester Herman Scearce, growing up in an area hard hit by the depression, lied about his age and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

Sergeant Lester Scearce was trained as a radio operator and gunner, and he was assigned to fly with the "Grey Geese" B-24 Liberators in the Pacific Theater.

Flying on the plane "Dog Patch Express,"  his team participated in the first bombing runs on the Island of Nauru.

Sergeant Lester Herman Scearce would remain with the B-24s in the Pacific throughout the war.

Sergeant Lester Herman Scearce remained in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in December of 1962. He embarked on a second career asa  County Magistrate until 2005 and died on March 26, 2015.

*A thorough history of the B-24s can be found in "Finish Forty and Home: The Untold WWII Story of B-24s in the Pacific," written by Sergeant Scearce's son. Philip Scearce*



****** *********************************

a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to her travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

Her online photography gallery can be found at shop.takethebackroads.com

#TaketheBackRoads

Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors and webshop or buying me a cup of coffee!


Location: Danville, VA, USA

Popular posts from this blog

A Soldier's Story: Lieutenant Sorrell Booke - Korean War

Image
Lieutenant Sorrell Booke was born on January 4, 1930, in Buffalo, New York. Always a performer, he made impressions for the local radio stations while attending Bennet High School, where he graduated class valedictorian in 1948. After high school, Lieutenant Sorrell Booke attended Columbia University, then moved to Yale University to receive his master's degree. However, his college education was briefly interrupted by his enlistment in the US Army during the Korean War, where Lieutenant Booke served as a counterintelligence officer. In 1960, after many years spent on the stage, Lieutenant Sorrell Booke made his way to Hollywood. He took on several roles in film, including one in the movie Black Like Me, before focusing on television roles. Lieutenant Sorrell Booke was nominated for an Emmy for his role in Dr. Kildare. He also appeared on M*A*S*H and All in the Family before landing his most famous role, that of Boss Hogg, in the television series Dukes of Hazzard, a part h...
Read more

An Airman's Story: Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara

Image
Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara was born on February 19, 1943, in Pollagh, Ireland. He immigrated to the U.S. at one-month-old aboard the USS Baltic and grew up in Parma, Ohio. Staff Sergeant Francis McNamara enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Services on March 19, 1942, in response to World War II and was trained as an ariel gunner. He was assigned to the 11th Bombardment Group and deployed to the Pacific theater. On May 27, 1943, during a rescue mission, the plane he was on, the Green Hornet, crashed into the Pacific. Staff Sergeant Francis McNamara, First Lieutenant Russell Allen Phillips, and First Lieutenant Louis Zamperini were the only survivors and were adrift in the ocean. After 33 days, on June 30, 1943, Staff Sergeant Francis Pershing McNamara succumbed to starvation and exposure and was buried at sea. He is memorialized in the Court of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. * Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here* ****** *********************...
Read more

An Airman's Story: Staff Sergeant Stanley Curtis Pillsbury

Image
Staff Sergeant Stanley Curtis Pillsbury was born on January 19, 1919, in Sanford, Maine, and grew up working on the family farm. Enlisting in the Army Air Corps (U.S. Air Force) on November 12, 1941, during World War II, he was assigned as a gunner for the B-24 Liberator Unit and was sent to the Pacific. In April 1943, during the Battle of  Funafuti, over Nauru, his plane, the "Superman," had taken heavy fire. Staff Sergeant Stanley Pillsbury had received a severe injury to his leg from enemy rounds, but still managed to shoot down an enemy plane while being bandaged.  The Superman was able to land (never to fly again), and Staff Sergeant Pillsbury retired from the war due to his injuries. He returned to Maine and provided author Laura Hillenbrand a detailed account of his time in the service, which she used for her book "Unbroken." Staff Sergeant Stanley  Pillsbury died on July 8, 2008, and rests in the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. * Read abo...
Read more