World War II Honoree

Robert James Heger

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Jefferson, Wisconsin

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Technical Sergeant. On December 7, 1942, he was inducted into the United States Marine Corps from Wisconsin. His boot camp training took place with the Seventh Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base in San Diego, California. Later he completed his Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. After completing boot camp, he was designated to attend the Marine Corps Naval Aerial Gunnery School in Purcell, Oklahoma. Served as a Gunner in the Mitchell PBJ-1 Patrol Bomber with the First Marine Air Wing in the Northwest Pacific Theater of Operations, assigned to the Marine Bombing Squadron ‘VMB-443’ and Marine Air Group-61. The squadron was based on Emirau Island, located in the Papua, New Guinea territory. He died in a non-battle incident Monday, September 11, 1944 and buried in a battlefield cemetery on Emirau, Island. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the family of this Marine requested that his remains be transferred to Manila, with interment in the American cemetery at Fort William-McKinley, Philippine Islands.