CRESWELL – This is a milestone year for Creswell’s Richard Heyman. On May 25, he turns 100 years old.
He just found out that there’s an even bigger reason to celebrate, though. The retired Air Force Colonel – who was a fighter pilot in three wars – will be enshrined into the Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation Hall of Fame.
The ceremony will take place on Thursday, Oct. 10 in Washington, D.C.
Heyman was quite surprised to hear the news.
“I’m very amazed, very surprised. I was just one of the guys,” he said while digging up some old pictures last week along with his wife, Barbara.
“It’s absolutely out of this world. We were all just doing our job and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time several times.
“I feel very honored to be recognized at this stage of my life. I don’t know how else to describe it, when you achieve something in your vocation, you really feel proud of it when your fellow aviators recognize you like this.”
Heyman has an entire case full of awards, including a Silver Star, the top honor he received.
He’s never been a Hall of Famer … until now.
He won’t have any trouble coming up with a good acceptance speech. Heyman recounts his wartime battles like they were yesterday, and is very well-spoken.
Each year the Museum Foundation – which exists to boost the shared aviation heritage of the U.S. and the U.K. – commemorates an anniversary, and this year marks the 80th year since D-Day during World War II. On June 6, 1944, more than 4,000 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself, and in the ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied troops died and 153,000 were wounded.
The year before Covid, it was the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift, and the honoree was the “Candy Bomber” himself – Col. Gail Halvorsen, who celebrated his 99th birthday that night.
Halvorsen, also known as “Uncle Wiggly Wings,” died of a respiratory illness in 2022. He was 101.
