June 14, 2010, - 2:56 pm

So Sad, So Detroit: What Happened to Frank Pierce, RIP

By Debbie Schlussel

Given that today is the 235th birthday of the U.S. Army, I gotta remember Frank Pierce, a Detroit area World War II U.S. Army Veteran.  What happened to him is so sad . . . and sadly, so Detroit.  Sounds like such a good guy.  Sad that this is the way he went.

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Say Nice Things About Detroitistan

Family members said the retired truck driver and World War II Army veteran was a man of principle who taught his nine children the difference between right and wrong.

Mr. Pierce died Wednesday after being robbed at Greektown Casino in Detroit and trying to reclaim his winnings.

Angry that a stranger had grabbed his $240-prize ticket, Mr. Pierce trailed the man outside and pointed him out to a police officer, who arrested the suspect. Mr. Pierce collapsed and was rushed to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of a heart attack. He was 91.

“My dad was never one to run from a fight his entire life,” said his oldest son, Frank Pierce, a retired Michigan State Police Post Commander. “If he could help or stop a problem, it was his nature to take whatever actions he deemed appropriate to resolve it. He was a jovial man with a great sense of humor, but if somebody crossed him, he would not back down.”

Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Mr. Pierce was a professional boxer before serving in the Army as a military policeman in charge of handling prisoners of war.

After the war, he was employed as a truck driver with Kroger prior to working with Bender & Louden in Detroit as a truck driver for 35 years. He retired in 1985.

He survived colon and liver cancer, and he played in senior softball and bowling leagues well into his 80s.

Only in Detroit would a man who survived a boxing career, World War II, two cancers, a hard life driving trucks, die from theft of casino winnings. Only in Detroit, America’s hell on earth.

Frank Pierce, Rest In Peace.




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15 Responses

Everyday the cesspool called Detroit kills innocent people. Where’s the Reverend jackson or al? Another frequent occurrence is combat vets from the middle east getting murdered after returning to the hell hole called Detroit.

samurai on June 14, 2010 at 3:15 pm

Very sad indeed. I recently spent some time in Las Vegas playing poker with an 86 year old WW II vet. He was a very interesting and intelligent guy, a life long resident of Detroit. He believes the entire country is going to end up like Detroit. He said that Wilson was the beginning of the end. FDR really got the momentum going. Obama is finishing us off. Detroit is ahead of the curve due to the evil Democrat/Union alliance that resulted in huge tax rates, record unemployment and insurmountable deficits. Obama is leading the entire USA into the same abyss.

BonzerWolf on June 14, 2010 at 3:30 pm

When you get taken to Receiving, your chances are pretty slim to begin with. Should have gone to Henry Ford.

DS_ROCKS! on June 14, 2010 at 4:33 pm

How sad that Detroit is my hometown! Rotting more and more every day. Here’s how bad it gets–my latest, “can you believe this?”

Many people heard about the 7 year old Aiyanna Jones who was shot during a recent raid (filmed for a reality TV show no less!) to arrest a murderer being quartered at Aiyanna’s home. Al Sharpton and Geoffry Feiger are making hay off the tragedy, suing the city and spouting–displaying the mother’s tears and how bad this is. Got it.

Here’s the kicker, Aiyanna’s father had just driven with a posse for the fugitive to a liquor store parking lot to murder a 17 year old! because the murderer didn’t like how he looked at him just moments earlier! Yes, this is how it is in Detroit. Two days later, the murderer of 17 year old (the accomplice) quarters the trigger man–gets his 7 year old daughter shot in a raid and calls Feiger to sue the police–then brings in Sharpton for the funeral.

http://detnews.com/article/20100603/METRO01/6030379

BB on June 14, 2010 at 6:23 pm

    Just saw a commercial today about nobody has a better time gambling than those at the detroit MGM. Yeah, okay. I’m thinking it’s also illegal to carry a concealed firearm into the casino as protection. Even with an exemption, they are probably banned by the casino. You are really taking your chances being in that city let alone UNARMED. Not smart.

    samurai on June 15, 2010 at 12:16 am

Perhaps it would be best to simply raze Detroit to the ground and start over.

kenny komodo on June 14, 2010 at 9:31 pm

So sad the way Frank Pierce died. Frank Pierce, RIP.

JeffE on June 14, 2010 at 11:28 pm

Detroit: The only American city that had a full-fledged ultra-corrupt pimp-daddy as a mayor, ruined by short-sighted politics, heavily infested with the dregs of society, and now pretty much resembles a post-apocalyptic city.

UCSPanther on June 15, 2010 at 1:56 am

Yes, he sounds like a fine man. May the al-mighty avenge his blood. But resisting a robbery could kill a 91 year old man anywhere, not just in Detroit.

Miranda Rose Smith on June 15, 2010 at 2:22 am

Just like the Perfect Game that wasn’t. The Tiger pitcher Armando Galarraga was robbed of a Perfect Game by the umpire’s bad call. But I guess that is what happens when a city is jinxed. Hey Jim Leyland is still one of the best managers in the game 😀

CaliforniaScreaming on June 15, 2010 at 3:28 am

It’s a shame that he died of a heart attack, but he had a rich life, and like Miranda points out, at 91 anybody can die of a heart attack from that kind of stress.

There must be better ways to point out the effects of the crime rate in Detroit than talking about 91 year-olds who die of heart attacks after being robbed, I’m sure of it.

aquietwhyme on June 15, 2010 at 10:04 am

Well this is one way to escape living in Detroit, I always said nothing good ever comes out of Detroit, except maybe the Ford Mustang.

THE LORD THOR on June 15, 2010 at 11:56 am

I agree with aquietwhyme. “Only in Detroit” is a bit dramatic. People get robbed everywhere. The man was admirable and good, but he wasn’t murdered (which we all know happens frequently in Detroit). He was robbed.

Charlotte on June 15, 2010 at 9:22 pm

I agree with Miranda and aquietwhyme. “Only in Detroit…” is false and dramatic. People get robbed everywhere. Elderly men (even admirable and good ones such as Mr. Pierce) have heart attacks. The man wasn’t murdered, as we all know happens frequently in Detroit. He was robbed.

Charlotte on June 15, 2010 at 11:06 pm

^ Oops. Sometimes my comments don’t show up for a few hours after being written from my phone. Sorry.

Charlotte on June 15, 2010 at 11:09 pm

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