Erich Edwin Scheier, Jr. was born on December 27, 1919 in Houston, Texas. He learned to fly at an early age and was dusting cotton fields by the time he was 15 years old. He attended Texas A & M University and the University of Houston and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army field artillery shortly before Pearl Harbor, after which he was called to active duty in the Army Air Corps.
  During WWII, Erich was stationed in India, assigned to the 436th Bomb Squadron of the 7th Bomb Group of the 10th Army Air Force. There as aircraft commander, operations officer and group leader he flew 47 combat bombing B-24 missions against the Japanese in the China-Burma-India Theater, (including missions over the infamous River Kwai).
   Erich planned and led two missions of six B-24 bombers into the heavily fortified River Kwai Valley at an altitude of less than 200 feet. As he flew up the Valley towards his bomb targets he saw the POWs that the Japanese were forcing to build the railroad throw their shovels into the air and waved with joy at the planes because they were the first Allied forces they had seen in 2 years. His bomb group destroyed Japanese trains, a large part of the tracks, installations and a number of Japanese soldiers.
  On his second mission when Erich saw that the Japanese were bayoneting and shooting the crew of one of the planes that had been forced to land even though they had their hands up, he pulled his plane up, flew back over the downed plane and had his gunners shoot the Japanese soldiers and destroy the plane. Then, a 20 millimeter shell exploded in his cockpit almost severing his co-pilot's left arm and completely disabling him. Erich was severely wounded and his right arm hung useless at his side. Using only his one good arm Erich flew the plane for 5 hours back to India and landed it safely without even blowing a tire. He was awarded the Silver Star and two Distinguished Flying Crosses for his planning and execution of these bombing missions as well as the Purple Heart.
 

   After the war, he flew as a pilot for Braniff, where he met a cute stewardess, Bette Blanchette, who became his wife of 64 years. But soon he reenlisted and was selected for the demanding duty of flying thermonuclear weapons on B-47s and B-52s in the early years of the Strategic Air Command.
   He was then tapped to fly Air Force One for Dwight Eisenhower. He flew President Eisenhower, was Vice President Nixon's pilot to Moscow where the "kitchen debate" occurred, and flew Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev when he toured the U.S.
  In the 60s, he flew troops and materiel into Vietnam, then finished his Air Force career as Squadron Commander for a training group at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

 In civilian life, he was a pilot and instructor for United for 19 years and flew air ambulances in HaHe was an active member of local civic organizations including Civitans, Kiwanis, and Boneheads, as well as an active local member of military and pilot organizations including The Military Order of the World Wars, Order of Daedalians, Quiet Birdmen, and the Happy Warriors.
   In his fnal years one of his greatest joys was his volunteer work at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field. Already in his late 80's with two hip replacements and failing eyesight, he would climb the steep stairs up to the cockpit of their Boeing 737 on display. He would sit once again in the pilot's seat as he first did over 70 years earlier and show the children visiting the museum how to fly an airplane.
For 29 years, Erich was a stalwart presence in Dallas Town North Civitan. His self-effacing, good-natured personaliity and fascinating flying stories enlivened many a meeting. Erich was one of our most faithful in attendance, even when his health made it difficult. He will be greatly missed.
    Erich Edwin Schleier, Jr, who died at the age of 90 on August 5, 2010He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Bette, their three children and three grandchildren.