Dealers' Choice - Media Communication Group

AMERICAN PATRIOTSThe Mercer’s of LufkinWhen you enter Hangar B4 at the massive LockheedMartin facility in Ft. Worth, you are overwhelmed withthe graceful power of the F-35 Lightning II StealthFighter. Also in Hangar B4 is Taylor Mercer, one of theengineers on the F-35 Project and the son of Texasdealers Robin and Roger Mercer.Taylor Mercer, born and raised in Lufkin, is the thirdgeneration of his family to serve in the defense of hiscountry. His grandfather Colonel Roger Mercer was ahighly decorated WWII Fighter Pilot, his father Roger servedin Viet Nam, and young Roger Taylor Mercer is an engineerfor Lockheed Martin, on the team that is producing the mostsophisticated and lethal jet fighter in military history.Named for another legendary war plane, the P-38 Lightning,the F-35 Lightning II is a stealth multi-role fighter, which isintended to be the world’s premier strike aircraft through 2040.Taylor Mercer continues his family’s 60 year history ofensuring the security of the world through America’s vitalmilitary presence and capability.Another star in the pantheon of U.S. Military heroes is theLockheed Martin plant itself. Followingin the flight line of historic Texas aircraftproduction facilities, such as NorthAmerican Aviation, Consolidated AircraftCorporation, Chance-Vought, GeneralDynamics and Bell Helicopter, Lockheedcarries on the Texas tradition of ensuringour future through the skills of patrioticengineers such as Taylor Mercer.The Mercer family military legacybegan in the air over North Africa in theFall of 1942. Taylor’s grandfather, ColonelRoger N. Mercer, flew a variety of fighteraircraft in the North Africa and EuropeanCampaigns, including the famous P-47Thunderbolt and the P-51 Mustang. Providingcover in his Thunderbolt, with itsarmament of six .50 caliber machine guns and a dive speed inexcess of 500 miles per hour, during the D-Day Invasion, andin continuous action until the war ended. Colonel Mercer’smany combat decorations included the Legion of Merit withOak Leaf Cluster and the Distinguished Flying Cross withBronze Oak Leaf Cluster. Colonel Mercer retired in 1977,after a remarkable Air Force career, that included service inthree wars and over 10,000 hours of flying time in more than40 aircraft. He passed away just last year and his final wish,was that he be buried in Texas, where he learned to fly.Colonel Mercer’s namesake, son Roger, is a veteran of VietNam and the GI Bill paid for his degreefrom Texas Tech University. He sold carsto make ends meet while in college. Hemet his wife Robin in Dallas. He waswith Exxon and Robin had just gottenher master’s degree at the LBJ School ofPublic Affairs at the University of Texasat Austin and had started her career incity management with the City of Dallas.The family wound up in the car businessas newlyweds, buying a little Datsundealership in Lufkin. They didn’t knowwhere Lufkin was and had to look it up.But the Mercer’s found a great communityin which to grow a business and family.Taylor’s mother, Robin, has been adealer in Lufkin for over 25 years, is the22