Veteran tells story as 90th birthday nears

FAIRHOPE, Ala. (WALA) - Eighty nine year old Gordon Pierce of Fairhope has seen the world in a way most of us haven’t.  Pierce volunteered for military duty in the U.S. Navy in 1940 as a Seaman 1 ^st Class on the USS Yorktown.  The Yorktown was of course sunk at the Battle of Midway and Pierce had a front row seat. 

“When them last fighter planes took off the Yorktown…I can still see them.  There wasn’t but four of them,” Pierce recalled.

That is Gordon Pierce’s most vivid memory of the Battle of Midway…June 4 ^th, 1942.  They were sent to intercept incoming Japanese bombers and torpedo planes, but those fighter planes never made it back. 

Although our Tactical Fleet 17 crippled the Japanese Navy in the historic battle, the Yorktown met her fate that day.  Pierce was assigned to a bombing squadron, but as Japanese bombers approached, he manned his battle station.

“The dive bombers were coming in on us,” said Pierce.  “The anti-aircraft fire and I was wondering at that time why wasn’t our anti-aircraft fire hitting the other ships too at that same time.”

Having already suffered a crippling blow from a bomber, Pierce watched helplessly as two torpedoes smashed through the hull of the ship just below where he was manning two 30 caliber guns.

“It was highly explosive,” Pierce said of the impact.  “It crumbled the catwalk where I was standing and I ended up on the flight deck half conscious.”

Pierce crawled his way back to his battle station, but the ship soon began to list and the order was given to abandon.

“The only fear I had was if the ship went down, was I going to get sucked down with it,” recalled Pierce.

Oddly, Pierce says that’s the only time during the battle that he felt any fear.  After six hours clinging to a life raft, Pierce and other crewmen were rescued by nearby ships.  We won the battle and of course, the War. 

Chief Petty Officer Gordon Pierce spent 25 years in the Navy, serving aboard aircraft carriers almost exclusively.  He finally received his high school diploma in 2000 when he led the graduating class on stage and bought his first television in 1951.  This is a man who’s seen and lived through it all so I thought it only fitting to ask a few parting questions we can all learn something from.

When asked what his biggest fear, looking forward to the future is, he responded, “The Middle East.  I’d say the Middle East is nothing but a powder keg.”

I then asked for his best piece of advice for living a fulfilling life.  Pierce said, “Number one would be to get a good education.  Not just a general education.”

Finally, I wanted to know his secret to living a happy 90 years of life and his answer came quick and with a smile.  “Quit drinking and smoking,” he said with a laugh.

Pierce will turn 90 next Friday and plans to celebrate with family.  He also made the first Honor Flight to Washington DC and says it was one of the best experiences of his life.