Fred Heischman

Meet Ssgt. Fred Heischman who is a WWII vet and is 91 years young. The stories he can tell about his time at war from 1943 to the end of the war are riveting. He was assigned to the 146th Army Combat Engineers battalion. He served in Scotland helping troops prepare for D-Day and he was the driver of Weasel that he drove up on the beach at Omaha with a Radio operator on the day of the invasion. He survived, the radio operator did not make it. Later when the French entered Paris to fight the occupying Germans they stopped sending information back to the allies so a officer and a driver, Fred, who had 2 years of French in High school, were sent to check on the situation.

They became the first 2 US Army men to enter Paris after Germany occupied it. The Germans had fled and the French troops were celebrating. If you wish to know more Fred has written a biography of his time in the service. Fred married Betty in 1943 at the age of 20 and they lived a long and glorious live. They were married for 70 yrs. and 8 months when she passed this last June. They lived in an old farm house that Fred helped wire for electricity They had 2 daughters and 5 grandsons and numerous great grandchildren.

Betty was the baby in her family, the last of 19 children. Fred studied Ceramic Engineering at The Ohio State. He graduated and worked at Autolite Sparkplugs for 40 years from 1940-1980 where he retired as Director of Engineering. If you have time stop and see Fred. He loves company and a listening ear. Salute Fred!!!