PFC Howard L. Pierce USMC
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Howard was born on April 29, 1933 died November 20, 2025 at 92 years old.
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Growing up, I never knew my grandfather was a marine. He never spoke about his service at all. So you could imagine the surprise when of an 18-year-old snot nosed kid getting ready to go to Air Force Basic Training, as he called me outside to his car. He opened his trunk and pulled out an old faded carboard box, and looked at me before he slowly opened it. With a soft, shaky voice he began to tell me a story I will never forget.
He began by saying, I am a Marine. I joined right out of high school. As he spoke he handed me an old faded newspaper article and asked me to read it.
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He told me a story of a 19 years old kid from Richmond Indiana being called from his tent, ordered to grab his Helmet and Rifle and get into formation. He was then told to get into the truck. His fellow marines and himself were not told where they were going, they just obeyed and sat in silence as the trucks rolled off.
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What happened next is a story I will never forget. He was placed into a foxhole a mile from Ground Zero, where an entire mock city was built. Buildings, buses, cars, mannequins. They heard over a loud speaker to get down and not look up until they were told. He thought it was just another training exercise. It’s in the vicinity, keep your heads down came over the loud speaker. Next, they heard IT’S DROPPED, KEEP YOUR HEADS DOWN!
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My grandfather, a man I have always look at as one of the strongest men I know, nervously told me that next he felt the rush of air out and the rush of air in and an explosion that shook him so hard. They were next told to stand up and see the mushroom cloud. He said the explosion was both beautiful and horrifying. The most beautiful colors of orange, while at the same time completely destructive. After it was over they were ordered exit their foxholes and proceed into ground zero. HE said everything that was there, the houses, buses, cars, and mannequins were all gone. Nothing was left but ash and dirt. All he had on was his fatigues and a strip of paper that told how much the radiation levels were. The only other thing he spoke of after that was the nightmares he still has to this day of California and Florida being completely blown off of the earth.
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He put the items he showed me back into the box, placed it back into the trunk and closed it. As he grew older and had medical issues, I asked him if he ever went to the VA to get looked at. All he said was, I don’t want nothing from them, I chose to serve my country, I chose to be a Marine. And the conversation ended there.
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But when think about him, I still see the same hero I saw the first time I heard him tell me his story. He honorably served in Korea, and gave more to his country than any normal citizen could ever fathom. It’s veterans like him, the ones who served their country without hesitation, without the need of being told why he/she was told to do something that I will forever be grateful for. You are the best of this nation, never forget that this nation owes you a debt that it can never repay! So the least I can do is say we thank you and love you.
