Gerald William “Gerry” Pina was born on October 13, 1956 to Wallace and Synnove Pina in New York City, NY. Gerry graduated from Rye High School in New York. Among his accomplishments was being a vital member of the cross country and track teams.
Gerry arrived at West Point in July 1974. After Beast Barracks, he was a stalwart Hotel-1 (H-1) “Bean Head” and had a real First Regiment plebe year. He pulled his weight and persevered well under considerable “fun” times…like the rest of us. Gerry was a stalwart friend, teammate, classmate, and he pulled the H-1 plebes together. “Hotel-1: You check ‘em in; we check ‘em out (of the Corps)!” was the upper class required plebe chant. And the chant was followed by, “Sir, the Days...” Gerry took his love of track and cross country from high school to the USMA Cross Country Team during plebe year. He then moved on to the USMA Orienteering Team for the last three years, for which he could run and train for his military career at the same time. Gerry and several classmates from H-1 took many ski trips to Mont Sutton, Québec, Canada, and to places in New England.
Gerry graduated from Airborne School just prior to joining G-3 for cow and firstie years. He was a true leader. Gerry had one of the best senses of humor of anyone in the class. No matter what, he always found the lighter side of things. When one thinks of Gerry, you always see him laughing and producing a great comeback.
On Branch Night, Gerry chose the Infantry. After graduation, he reported to his first unit at Fort Stewart, GA. After a few months, Gerry went to Fort Benning, GA to attend the Mechanized Infantry Officer Basic Course (MIOBC). One memory of him that is ingrained in one classmate’s mind is the trip made from Fort Stewart to Fort Benning: Gerry driving his convertible sports car, top down, no shirt, sunny day, and this huge cheese-eating grin every time these classmates passed each other on the interstate. Knowing he was on your six, or you on his, was comforting and made the time fly by.
After graduating from MIOBC, Gerry attended winter Ranger School in class 4-79. A classmate and Ranger buddy recalls one incident on a sleety, rainy day during the Mountain Phase as an example of Gerry’s perseverance. Gerry was feeling the effects of the cold, the dampness, and some hypothermia, but he pressed on, and they both graduated on time with the coveted Ranger Tab. What could have been a setback was not.
Another classmate remembers Gerry from their first assignment in 2d Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment (“Gimlets”) at Fort Stewart. They both joined just as the installation was standing up the 24th Infantry Division with all new units, which were developing standard operating procedures. Gerry thrived in an environment of building from scratch. As it says next to his firstie picture in the Howitzer: “It’s amazing how he got through four years with the amount of effort he put forth.” Gerry always got the mission done and he made it look easy. Off post and off duty, Gerry shared a big house with several fellow lieutenants from the unit. In fact, the house became a temporary home for many wayward “LTs” as they arrived at Fort Stewart and camped out in his empty living room. Gerry’s place was well known for incredible gatherings for anyone who was a “friend of Gerry” or his many roomies.
After Fort Stewart, Gerry was assigned to the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK. It was there that he met Christy Anna Schneider. They married on June 30, 1984 and later had two children: Christopher and Jason.
After the Army, Gerry worked as a logistics operations supervisor at various military bases over many years. He managed a logistics contract organization for Fort Sill’s Directorate of Public Works. His employees said it was a privilege to work for him. His strong organizational and problem-solving skills helped both his company and the Army improve a system that tracked all operations and maintenance across the United States and around the world.
A classmate remembers Gerry from his time at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. In 2007–08 Gerry and his contractor team supplied great logistical support to the Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa in an incredibly challenging environment. Gerry’s team always got the job done, a reputation that preceded them to Africa based on their great success years earlier during the Iraq conflict.
Gerry loved spending time with his family, especially his granddaughter, and watching Army beat Navy in football. In 2018, Gerry and Christy took their granddaughter, Jocelyn, to see her first football game, Army versus Oklahoma University. She was confused about Grammy and Papa cheering for different teams. Attending a 2020 game at West Point was planned but had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For 10 years Gerry valiantly fought cancer. He would go to chemotherapy treatments and then head straight to work. Gerry was laid to rest on August 18, 2020 in Springhill Cemetery, Mountain Park, OK.
Gerry will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. His love of life was infectious and cherished by many people in the Roosevelt, OK community. His indomitable spirit serves as a precious memory.
— Sanford Holman, Christy Pina, Al Aycock, Andy Ketchum, Ken Rackers, and Jim Steiner