Sidney Webster Mayers' Obituary
On January 10, 2014, Sidney Webster Mayers (SFC- Ret.) peacefully passed away at the American Lake Veterans Administration Community Living Center in Lakewood, WA.
Born in Trenton, Mississippi on June 18, 1921, Sidney was the son of William Mayers and Zellie (Epting) Mayers. He was married to (and predeceased by) Lena (Noblin) Mayers.
Sidney was accepted into the Civilian Conservation Corps at the age of 18, and remained with the CCC for two years. Despite earning an athletic scholarship to play basketball at Alcorn State University, he was drafted into the military in October, 1942.
Sidney reported for active duty at Camp Shelby, MS, beginning his career as an infantry rifleman in what was then known as the "Army-Air Corps." During World War II, Sidney was one of the last "Buffalo Soldiers," serving with the 92nd Infantry Division (365th Infantry Regiment) in North Africa and Italy.
After World War II ended, Mayers returned to Camp Shelby. He reenlisted and received his first assignment to Fort Lewis, WA. Mayers' other military assignments included Tachikawa AFB (Japan), Clark AFB (Philippines), Harmon AFB (Guam), Keesler AFB (MS), MacDill AFB (FL), Orlando AFB (FL), McAndrew AFB (Newfoundland, Canada), Beale AFB (CA), Norton AFB (CA) and Fort Ord (CA). He also served two tours in Korea.
SFC Mayers had three tours in Germany, where he was stationed at Mannheim, Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern. A direct descendent of Michael Mayers of Lutherstadt Wittenberg (Deutschland), Sidney's tours in Germany were his favorites. He and Lena and their daughter Deborah (who was born in Heidelberg) were very involved with Main Post Chapel activities, volksmarsching and camping (throughout Europe).
Sidney Mayers' awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal (8th Award), the World War II Victory Medal and the EXP M-16.
After his retirement from the military in 1975, SFC Mayers' worked for Madigan Army Medical Center (Tacoma, WA) until 2009. The departments he worked for at Madigan included Anesthesia and Operative Services, Logistics and Nursing.
Sidney earned two Associate's degrees from Fort Steilacoom Community College (now Pierce College) in Lakewood, WA.
He was an honorary member of the Delta Pi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
SFC Mayers enjoyed playing Country Western and Southern Gospel songs on his guitar, traveling, gardening, watching most sports and attending Chapel services.
He is survived by his daughter Deborah (Raymond) Denison (DuPont, WA), brothers Oscar Mayers (Washington, D.C) and Charles Mayers (Shreveport, LA) and numerous relatives and friends.
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