Roger "Red" Mercer
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Col. Roger “Red” N. Mercer, 86, of Kansas City, Kan., died Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009.
Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Kansas City Funeral Directors. Col. Mercer’s last wish was that his remains be returned to Texas where he learned to fly. Col. Mercer will be interned with full military honors at the Dallas-Fort Worth Military Cemetery on Nov. 27, 2009.
Col. Mercer was born July 9, 1923, in Princeton to Mae Francis Staples and Royal Mercer. Col. Mercer retired from the U.S. Air Force after 35 years of service, 1942 to 1977. He was a fighter pilot and flew jets and gliders actively into his 80s. He was a graduate of the Air Force Experimental Flight School at Edwards AFB, Calif., and numerous USAF schools. After World War II he earned a degree in Forestry from Colorado A & M and a Master’s in History from the University of South Carolina. Following retirement from the Air Force he was blessed with another career that allowed him to continue flying for Flight Safety International and Cessna Aviation in Wichita, Kan.
His career spanned from World War II, flying open cockpit training airplanes, through Korea and Vietnam. After flight test school he flew and tested every production F-104 made for the U.S. Air Force. He was the first pilot to attain both 500 and 1,000 hours flying time in the F-104. During his career he flew many aircraft, including the Stearman, P-40, P- 47, P-51, F-80, F-86, F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105, F-106, F-16 and the F-4 during a tour of duty in Vietnam. His total flying time exceeded 10,000 hours in more than 40 different aircraft.
During World War II, Col. Mercer flew in North Africa, Italy, Europe and participated in the D-Day invasion. He was stationed in California, Texas, South Carolina, New Mexico and numerous other states. His foreign duty after World War II included Germany, France, England, Taiwan and SE Asia. Awards and decorations include USAF Command Pilots Wings, Nationalist Chinese Pilot Wings, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star for ground action in Vietnam and the Air Medal with 23 Oak Leaf Clusters.
He is survived by his wife, Marj Mercer of Kansas City, Kan.; one son, Roger C. Mercer and wife, Robin T. Mercer, of Lufkin, Texas; two daughters, Robin C. Mercer of Columbia, S.C., and Rebecca M. Green and her husband, Jay, of Camden, S.C.; four grandchildren, Roger Taylor Mercer of Fort Worth, Texas, and J.D., Fletcher and Mary Margaret Green, all of Camden, S.C.; two sisters, Barbara Mancuso of Chicago and Mary M. Smith and her husband, Don, of State College, Pa.; and one brother, Jay Mercer of Princeton.
Col. Mercer was a fighter pilot until the end, he believed any landing a pilot walked away from was a good landing and everyday was a great day to fly!
