EUGENE – To many onlookers, this might have seemed like Col. Richard Heyman’s grand au revoir, as he was posthumously awarded the Legion of Honor – France’s highest national recognition – during a heartwarming ceremony Monday, Feb. 23 at the Soaring by the Sea Foundation near the Eugene Airport.
But to others, this was only bonjour, because Heyman, who was 101 when he died just a month earlier, established a legacy that could extend well beyond another 101 years.
French President Emmanuel Macron recognized Heyman on Dec. 30, 2025, for service to France in 1944. That’s because on the morning of June 6, 1944, Heyman flew his P-51 to escort the 101st Airborne Division, the first of many missions he flew that day. Richard was a USAF fighter pilot during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, completing over 340 missions and receiving a Silver Star and Bronze Star for his heroism in the process.
“It’s not the end,” Ret. Maj. Gen. Larry Martin (USAF/RAF) said. “If you watch the ROTC cadets, and if you watch the various people who are all inspired, the great legacy for Richard is the memory and inspiration that he brings to those people, to do the things that he did, to live a life of integrity, to sacrifice, to be faithful, to be quiet, to be humble, all the things. The inspiration went for this whole crowd. … Richard didn’t pass, Richard lives on through that.”
“Look at the generational mix,” RAFMAF Executive Director Angela Coleman said. “There are people of his generation, there are 40-year-olds, there are 20-year-olds. They were all here to hear his story, and that’s the most important thing, and that’s why the legacy will live on. The whole point of honoring the veterans is to inspire the youngsters either into a career in aerospace or some other way.”
Barbara Heyman, who celebrated her 90th birthday the day before the event, accepted the award on behalf of her late husband from the Honorary Consul of France, Dominic Geulin, who’s located in Portland.
Barbara shared a table with Creswell Mayor Nick Smith, who greeted her with gratitude on his mind. A few hours later, the subject was still at the top of his agenda.
At Monday’s city council meeting, Smith said the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance was in honor of Heyman.
“People are able to walk the beaches of Normandy because of this man, this man who came from this town,” he said. “It’s extremely humbling.”
He said he felt “emotional tingles” from Monday’s ceremony at the airport, “having people come from across the pond – and I mean from across the pond – to recognize this man and all the things that he did … tonight’s Pledge of Allegiance is a little bit special for me. And I’m not done with his name for this town,” he said before placing his hand to his chest.
Richard was ‘ready to go’
Barbara said she had a wonderful birthday celebration as 11 people gathered at Toxic Burger in Creswell on Sunday. Then Monday’s party – mostly planned by Creswell Hobby Field Airport manager Shelley Humble – was top-flight all the way.
“I’m sure Richard would have loved this – it’s too bad he didn’t live long enough,” Barbara said.
“But he was ready. In those last few days he said he was ready to go.”
Barb had mentioned earlier that the family doesn’t like to “do the morbid thing.” They prefer celebrating his long and wonderful life.
“Richard really loved ice cream,” Barbara said, “so in the interment, we went to the ice cream parlor afterward, and I had a spoon I had in (the kitchen) that I liked to give him for his ice cream – and when (son) Martin (and grandsons) Ray and Doug went down to see him in the open casket, they put a teaspoon in his pocket for ice cream.
“And he used to say, don’t ever take wooden nickels or half-dollars and they put a wooden nickel in there, too.”
Barbara then showed off a picture of Richard flipping her off the day before he died.
“Still feisty until the very end,” Barbara said.
“I bet we argued 2-3 times at the most in 60-some years. Sure, we had little differences of opinion quite frequently. I remember one time I was so mad at him that I threw the phone – not at him – but it bounced off the floor and hit him in the leg.
“My pastor, the Rev. Price Jones in England, well, it was his wife who gave me some good advice – never go to bed mad with each other. I used to play the organ at his church – but he wasn’t too happy that I was marrying somebody of a different faith – they wouldn’t marry us in England, at least not back in those days, so I said, ‘OK, we’ll just go to the States.’”
Richard Heyman was a kind-hearted, happy-go-lucky guy who could also be an ornery, hard-headed curmudgeon. He had to operate with nerves of steel, and sometimes that meant a steel fist, too.
“Martin said one time, ‘Why is Dad that way,’ because he would get mad sometimes for no reason, and I told him ‘If he wasn’t that way, he couldn’t have done his job during the war. He couldn’t be pussyfooting around.’ That’s just the way it was.
“I got tearful when they presented the Medal of Honor. I started tearing up because I really wished he were there to accept it. That was beautiful today, they really outdid themselves.”
There were videotapes playing nonstop of Richard’s interviews in Washington, D.C. when he was the guest of honor at the Spirit of the Battle of Britain banquet in 2024, so the young AFROTC Cadets from Oregon State and the University of Oregon appeared somewhat starstruck by him.
It’s tough for anyone to fathom becoming a legendary fighter pilot.
“One cadet was up in the airplane and said, ‘This is awesome!’ and he told me he didn’t think he would ever do something like this again,” Maj. Gen. Martin said. “I said, ‘Cadet, you’re just beginning. You’re going to make adventures for the rest of your life that are going to be like this and we’re going to talk about you in 30 years, if you do it like Richard, and we’re gonna be talking about you like we’re talking about Dick.’ And that’s what would make Dick smile.”
Dick would have had a lot to smile about Monday.
Recognizing sacrifices
Geulin has been in Portland since 1981, representing the French Consulate in San Francisco that covers 10 western states. “I’ve had some periods of interruptions, but yes, mainly Oregon is home to me,” Geulin said after the presentation.
Even though he moved to Oregon 45 years ago, this award for Heyman was the first time he has handed out any medals.
“France has been trying to reach out to D-Day veterans in the last 10-15 years,” Geulin said. “I don’t know the number, but there have been quite a few medals handed out. We want to recognize the sacrifices they’ve made.”
Joining Geulin for the presentation of the Legion of Honor were Air Commodore Nikki Thomas (Royal Air Force Air & Space Attaché, British Embassy, Washington, D.C.) and Virginie Durr (Chevalière de la Legion d’Honneur, Normandy Legacy Flight Leader), who also made presentations.
The awards ceremony was presented by the Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation in conjunction with the French Consulate in San Francisco.
