Donald Joseph Pierini
Military
Personal research & 'The Debden Warbirds' by Frank Speer.
Object Number - UPL 14021 - Lt Donald J. Pierini of the 336th Fighter Squadron.
Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. 72 x combat missions. On 7-Jun-44, on one of his first combat missions he collided with Lt Kenneth B Smith's aircraft while taking off and climbing through clouds. He parachuted safely near Debden.
Awards: DFC, BS, AM (8OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (5 x Battle stars), Korean and UN medals.
Post war: 1953 - 319th FIS Suwon, Korea, 1967-68 34th Air Division Nah Trang, South Vietnam, He was a member of the Mach Buster's Club and Caterpillar Club. Retired from the USAF as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1975 . He had logged almost 5,000 flight hours, was rated in 27 different aircraft, and was a Command Pilot as well as a licensed Commercial Pilot.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 336th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-694193
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Judy Jersey Bounce II
- Unit: 496th Fighter Training Group 4th Fighter Group 336th Fighter Squadron 554th Fighter Training Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Jersey Bounce
- Unit: 42nd Air Depot Group 4th Fighter Group 336th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Jersey Bounce III Marian
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 336th Fighter Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Trenton, NJ, USA | 8 April 1924 | |
|
Enlisted |
Nashville AC Facilities, TN | 1 March 1943 | Nashville AC Facilities Tennessee |
|
Other Assigned |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 25 May 1944 - 8 March 1945 | Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. |
|
Other Promoted |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 15 September 1944 | Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. |
|
Other Promoted |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 18 November 1944 | Promoted to 1st Lieutenant. |
|
Other C Flight Commander |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 26 February 1945 | Designated C Flight Commander. |
|
Other Promoted |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 5 March 1945 | Promoted to Captain. |
|
Other D Flight Commander |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 25 December 1945 | Designated D Flight Commander. |
|
Died |
Austin, TX, USA | 19 June 2015 | |
|
Buried |
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia Section 60, Grave 11130 |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/pilots.html
