Jerry Duane Byers

Jerry Duane Byers was born in Healdton, OK in 1928 to William Byers and Nancy Brown. He was the youngest of 8 brothers and, as his father liked to say, “each one had a sister”. William Byers was a farmer and had an arcade in town. Nancy was a full blooded Native American registered on the Dewes Roll as Chickasaw. In actuality, she was half Chickasaw and half Choctaw. Jerry was separated from his family when he suffered from Infantile Paralysis at about 6 years of age and was sent to the Shriner’s Hospital in Oklahoma City. It was his sister Lilian who looked after him while in Oklahoma City. At about age 10, after his long recovery and the loss of the farm and arcade, Jerry and the other Byers family members became part of the Great Depression migration west. Although California was the ultimate destination, California was restricting the number of migrants allowed into the state. The Byers family worked in Arizona picking cotton, including Jerry and the others, while awaiting their turn for entry. Once allowed entry, the family lived in various migrant camps, in tents, while traveling to the various crops as they ripened for harvesting. The migrant lifestyle caused Jerry’s education to suffer as he never completed an entire grade in any one school. Harvesting crops did not allow time for much schooling. Despite the lack of “normalcy”, he actually had fond memories of this time. He remembered the commonality with other displaced families; his mother preparing the meals at an open fire; and his father playing the fiddle at night as part of the entertainment.

From the time Jerry first saw an airplane flying overhead, he knew his calling – to fly planes. He had a couple of strikes against him including his spotted, limited education and his race but he wasn’t about to be held back. He entered the Regular Army Air Force, with his parents’ reluctant consent, at the age of 17 in 1946. He was stationed in the Pacific in Guam and Okinawa with the Photographic Tech Unit. In 1947 he was part of the evacuation of the International Settlement in Shanghai.

After his discharge in 1949, Jerry received his GED and enrolled in San Luis Obispo Junior College where he received his Associate in Arts degree. During this time, he also enlisted in the California Army National Guard where he was a tank commander while awaiting acceptance into the Air Force Pilot Cadet Training Program. He earned his Pilot Wings in 1953. From 1953 to 1965 he was an Air Commander of the B-36 and B-52 with Strategic Air Command. Jerry finished his military career with the Indiana Air Force National Guard as an Operations Officer Tactical Fighter Unit with the 113th Tactical Squadron while flying commercially.

Jerry met his wife Terry (Pieta) while both were working for Allegheny Airlines in Indianapolis, Indiana. They were married in 1977 and were 11 days shy of their 48th wedding anniversary when Jerry passed. Jerry and his first wife, Joy, had 4 children, Jerry Jr., Barry, and twins Kevin and Melody. Kevin and Melody both predeceased Jerry. Jerry also had 8 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be sent to K9s For Warriors, 114 Camp K9 Road, Ponte Vedra, FL 32081 or Hospice of the West, 520 N. Camino Mercado, Ste 9, Casa Grande, AZ 85122 or Disabled American Veterans online.

A memorial service will be held Friday, June 6th, 2025, at 1:00pm at Saving Grace Lutheran Church, 24498 South Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, AZ.