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jerry · 06-06-2005, 02:04 PM

Overdue honor

World War II veteran receives Distinquished Flying Cross

Monday, June 6, 2005

By SARAH SUTTON

of the Journal Star

BARTONVILLE - Lyle Heineke never talked much about his time in the Army Air Forces. It was only through reading war letters and old newspaper articles that his children learned of his experiences in World War II.
So it was a bit of a shock for his family to hear that he was being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism.

"He just told us on Monday (Memorial Day)," said his son, Paul Heineke. "It surprised us all."

At a ceremony Sunday at the 182nd Airlift Wing at the Greater Peoria Regional Airport, Heineke was presented with his medal. Joining him were more than 100 airmen, who were presented with awards for distinguished actions in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded to officers and enlisted men of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves in combat by demonstrating heroism or extraordinary achievement. The first Flying Cross was awarded to Charles A. Lindbergh in 1927 for his solo flight across the Atlantic. Other recipients include Richard E. Byrd, for his flight to and from the North Pole, and Amelia Earhart, the only civilian to be awarded the medal.

At 80 years old, the white-haired Heineke, a Benson resident, was proud to receive his award, but even prouder of the family that came to see him accept it. A crowd of 18, including his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, gathered in the first few rows of the auditorium, congratulating him with handshakes, hugs and kisses.

"He's waited a long time for this," said his oldest daughter, Pam. "We're thrilled. It's so nice that it happened while he can still enjoy it and share it with his family."

Family seemed to be the theme of the day, as each of the speakers thanked those in the audience for supporting the airmen in their endeavors.

"What takes place here couldn't take place without the families," said Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, in his address to the crowd, before presenting Heineke with his award.

Sixty years ago, on May 11, 1945, the Army Air Forces veteran participated in an aerial flight over the Philippines. His aircraft was faced with heavy bombing and sustained a direct hit. Putting himself in jeopardy, Heineke shot the left tire out of his plane, making it safe for his unit to land.

It remains a mystery why he did not receive his award right away, but the retired air gunman attributes it to the chaos surrounding the event.

"It was a real bad mission," he said of how his award got lost in the shuffle, "and it was just never taken care of."

Second Lt. Christopher Gosch was humbled by Heineke's presence. One of three Airlift Wing members presented with a Bronze Star, he brushed aside his actions as his duty to the country.

"That's just part of my job," he said, "not anything special. But his award is very impressive. It was long overdue."

Bronze Stars also went to Lt. Col. Robert Hart and Master Sgt. Chance Barlow. Gosch and Barlow's awards were denoted with a "V" for valor. Barlow has received the medal at least once before for his actions in Afghanistan. A member of the Peoria Fire Department, Barlow also has been awarded the Medal of Honor by the state for risking his life on Feb. 24, 2002, by trying to rescue two children who died in a house fire.

Lt. Col. Bart Welker, who was presented with an Air Medal and an Aerial Achievement Medal, echoed Gosch's sentiments. "His (Heineke's) award puts things in perspective. They had it far worse than we ever will."

LaHood had a few words of inspiration for the Airlift Wing members standing before him, urging them to use Heineke as example.

"He was no different than all of you. He was well-trained, dedicated and committed, and did what he had to do to earn freedom."

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http://www.pjstar.com/stories/060605...VIUG.056.shtml

06-06-2005, 02:04 PM	#4
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,750 Blog Entries: 1	Here is the story on the WWII Vet Overdue honor World War II veteran receives Distinquished Flying Cross Monday, June 6, 2005 By SARAH SUTTON of the Journal Star BARTONVILLE - Lyle Heineke never talked much about his time in the Army Air Forces. It was only through reading war letters and old newspaper articles that his children learned of his experiences in World War II. So it was a bit of a shock for his family to hear that he was being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism. "He just told us on Monday (Memorial Day)," said his son, Paul Heineke. "It surprised us all." At a ceremony Sunday at the 182nd Airlift Wing at the Greater Peoria Regional Airport, Heineke was presented with his medal. Joining him were more than 100 airmen, who were presented with awards for distinguished actions in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded to officers and enlisted men of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves in combat by demonstrating heroism or extraordinary achievement. The first Flying Cross was awarded to Charles A. Lindbergh in 1927 for his solo flight across the Atlantic. Other recipients include Richard E. Byrd, for his flight to and from the North Pole, and Amelia Earhart, the only civilian to be awarded the medal. At 80 years old, the white-haired Heineke, a Benson resident, was proud to receive his award, but even prouder of the family that came to see him accept it. A crowd of 18, including his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, gathered in the first few rows of the auditorium, congratulating him with handshakes, hugs and kisses. "He's waited a long time for this," said his oldest daughter, Pam. "We're thrilled. It's so nice that it happened while he can still enjoy it and share it with his family." Family seemed to be the theme of the day, as each of the speakers thanked those in the audience for supporting the airmen in their endeavors. "What takes place here couldn't take place without the families," said Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, in his address to the crowd, before presenting Heineke with his award. Sixty years ago, on May 11, 1945, the Army Air Forces veteran participated in an aerial flight over the Philippines. His aircraft was faced with heavy bombing and sustained a direct hit. Putting himself in jeopardy, Heineke shot the left tire out of his plane, making it safe for his unit to land. It remains a mystery why he did not receive his award right away, but the retired air gunman attributes it to the chaos surrounding the event. "It was a real bad mission," he said of how his award got lost in the shuffle, "and it was just never taken care of." Second Lt. Christopher Gosch was humbled by Heineke's presence. One of three Airlift Wing members presented with a Bronze Star, he brushed aside his actions as his duty to the country. "That's just part of my job," he said, "not anything special. But his award is very impressive. It was long overdue." Bronze Stars also went to Lt. Col. Robert Hart and Master Sgt. Chance Barlow. Gosch and Barlow's awards were denoted with a "V" for valor. Barlow has received the medal at least once before for his actions in Afghanistan. A member of the Peoria Fire Department, Barlow also has been awarded the Medal of Honor by the state for risking his life on Feb. 24, 2002, by trying to rescue two children who died in a house fire. Lt. Col. Bart Welker, who was presented with an Air Medal and an Aerial Achievement Medal, echoed Gosch's sentiments. "His (Heineke's) award puts things in perspective. They had it far worse than we ever will." LaHood had a few words of inspiration for the Airlift Wing members standing before him, urging them to use Heineke as example. "He was no different than all of you. He was well-trained, dedicated and committed, and did what he had to do to earn freedom." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.pjstar.com/stories/060605...VIUG.056.shtml __________________ Last edited by jerry; 06-06-2005 at 02:08 PM.