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Harrison H.D. Heiberg, Jr.
HARRISON H.D. HEIBERG,
JR., born November 11, 1925, in Marfa,
Texas. Hei graduated from Western High
School, Washington, D.C., in 1942 and from
the U.S. Military Academy at West Point,
N.Y., in 1946, in the last class to receive
pilot training before graduation.
After Fighter Transition in P-51 's at Williams Field, Arizona, and a brief tour with Hq
USAFE in Wiesbaden, he joined the 86th
Fighter Group at Neubiberg, Germany, in
1948. The 86th then was the only USAF
fighter group in Europe. Tour highlights
included flights to Turkey and Iran to deliver
surplus Jugs, a period as a C-47 co-pilot on
the Berlin Airlift, and duty as a P-47 pace
pilot for in-flight airspeed calibration of C-54's returning to base from Berlin.
Subsequent tours took him to Hq USAF
and to the new Air Force Academy, where he
was the first officer to join the Commandant's staff. He had a major role in selection
of the falcon as the Academy mascot and
became an avid falconer as a result.
A remote tour as Base Operations Officer
at Osan Air Base, Korea, followed in 1957.
Heiberg went into MATS at Donaldson AFB,
South Carolina, in 1958, flew C-124's on the
Congo Airlift, and returned to the Pentagon
in Air Force Legislative Liaison in 1961. He
was a Distingiusihed Graduate of the Air War
College in 1966. Another Academy assignment (1966-68) came next, followed by a combat tour as adviser to the Commander,
33rd Tactical Wing, VNAF, at TanSonNhut
AB, RVN. While in Vietnam, Heiberg flew
66 combat missions, mostly in VNAF AC-47
gunships with Vietnamese crews.
In 1970, he became Assistant DCO of the
C-141 wing at Norton AFB, California, then
DCO of the C-141/C-5 wing at Travis AFB.
Headquarters assignments at 22AF and MAC
followed. He retired 1 January 1976 as a
colonel and presently is Vice President of the
Armed Forces Relief and Benefit Association
in Washington, D.C.
He married Mimi Branson in September
1946. They have three children, Karen
(wife of a C-130 squadron commander at
Clark AB, Philippines), Hal (H.H.D., III),
and James, and one grandchild.
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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Asa A. Adair
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He returned to the States in August of 1944 after participating in the invasion "D" Day. He flew P-63's, P-51's, F-80's, T-33's, F-84's, T-38's, P-47's in numerous assignments during the following twenty years in in, Japan, U.S.A. and Europe before retiring after twenty-six years of Active Duty.
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John C. Anderson
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After P-47 transition he was assigned to the 406th Fighter Group, 512th Fighter Squadron. (E.T
.0.) He flew 56 missions through January, 1945 destroying supply routes, bridges, and railroads; he also flew close support missions with the ground forces, with attacks on tanks, artillery and enemy positions.
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W.B. 'Tex' Badger
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Eight and Ninth Air Force in WWII. B-l7's, P-51's and P-47's. Fifth Air Force in Korea, F80's and F86's. WWII and Korea, Flew 156 missions. Tactical units served in with the USAAF and USAF were: 305th BG , 368th Fighter Group, 4th Fighter Group, 49th Fighter Group, 12th Fighter Wing, 506th Fighter Wing.
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Robert T. (Bob) Bagby
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He trained in P47's at Cross City and Dale Mabry Fields, Florida and then joined the 341st FS Black Jack Squadron), 348th FG of the 5th AF in Brisbane, Australia in June 1943. Bob flew 78 combat missions in New Guinea (Port Moresby, Finchafen, Sador, Wakde and Biak) primarily as wingman to squadron CO's John Campbell and John Moore. Also privileged to fly wing to Neil Kirby on several occasions.
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Frank Baker
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After brief stops at Stone and Atcham, England he joined the 313th Fighter Squadron of the 50th Fighter Group in France. He flew 90 missions through V.E. Day. Most of the missions were close support attacks on various ground targets with a few B-26 escort missions thrown in. All of the missions took place in eastern France and southern Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters.
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John M. Balason
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To relieve the boredom, Balason went down on the deck and blew up a locomotive
he had observed at altitude. A few seconds after making his strafing pass he received a hit in his left wing tank and a fire started immediately in the cockpit. The paralyzing effect of the intense heat made climbing out of the cockpit impossible.
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Albert W. Barlow, Jr.
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He flew 69 escort and ground support missions. Destroyed one E/A (ME-I09). Was shot down on Sept. 8, 1944, and evaded enemy ground forces for 8 days. Was picked up by an American Recon. Unit behind the German lines. Was hospitalized until Feb. 1948, when he was medically retired with the rank of Capt. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and Purple Heart.
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William T. Beckler
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In July, 1944 Beckler exchanged his P-40 for a P-47N Thunderbolt. Missions in the Jug covered Northern Italy and Southern France. These included escorting medium bombers. The Bombers, based in Southern Italy, would be escorted to France by Thunderbolts based on Corsica. Shortly before target the Jugs would pull ahead of the bombers and bomb the enemy gun positions.
Beckler's activities while participation in three major campaigns earned him the DFC, two Air Medals and two Presidential citations.
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Herbert R. Benson
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After training in P-47 Thunderbolts at bases in North Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware, he was
assigned to the European Theatre of operations and joined the 48th Fighter Group
493rd Fighter Squadron at St. Trond, Belgium. After flying 44 combat missions, he was awarded the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf clusters.
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Marvin C. Bigelow
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Training in the Southeast Training Command with the class of 44C, he graduated and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant single engine pilot at Marianna, Florida with the class of
44D. After checking out in the P-40 at Marianna, he transitioned in the P-47 in the Northeast Defense Command and after gunnery at Dover, Delaware was shipped on the Queen Mary to England.
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