World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Richard L. Heggie, Jr.
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Vance County, North Carolina
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
RANK: TECHNICAL SERGEANT. INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS JULY 4, 1942 AT FORT JACKSON, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA. SERVED AS A P-61 ‘BLACK WIDOW’ FIGHTER RADAR OBSERVER IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ASSIGNED TO THE 422ND NIGHT FIGHTER SQUADRON, 9TH AIR FORCE. HE WAS STATIONED AT CHARMEY DOWN, ENGLAND, 9TH AIR FORCE, ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #487, CHÂTEAU DUN, FRANCE AND FLORENNES, BELGIUM. KILLED IN ACTION TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1944 DURING THE THIRD NIGHT OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE WHEN HIS FIGHTER CRASHED DUE TO FOG AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. HIS BODY WAS RETURNED TO HIS HOMETOWN IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR BURIAL, WITH INTERMENT IN A PRIVATE CEMETERY.