John L. Pierce

“After the war, my grandfather suffered a stroke. The only time I met him, I was about 8 years old, and he was unable to speak because of the stroke. The Pierce Elementary School at Fort Knox was named in his honor.”

– David Rousmaniere, Director, Student Health Center

John L. Pierce, remembered by his grandson, David Rousmaniere

Career Army officer John L. Pierce was a pioneer in tank warfare.

David Rousmaniere’s maternal grandfather, John L. Pierce, was a career Army officer and a pioneer in armored (tank) warfare; he served with General George Patton. During the early part of WWII, he was a general’s chief of staff stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, when Rousmaniere’s father, the general’s aide, met his mother.

Pierce was promoted to brigadier general in 1943; he commanded the 16th Armored Division, which liberated Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, the city known worldwide for Pilsner beer. He received the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster from the U.S. government, and the Order of the White Lion and War Cross from Czechoslovakia.