Richard F. Heck

Mr. Heck was born 1/16/27 in Paxtang, PA. From the age of four he became interested with air planes. He lived a few miles from the Penn Harris Airport. At age of eight he would bicycle out to the airport and help clean and wax the private planes to be able to sit in them and work the controls. His first flight at age eleven was in a Ford Trimoter at $1.00 a ride. The dollar was furnished by his loving grandmother. In October of 1844 after trying three times to gain enough weight, eh enlisted as an air cadet. He served in the South Pacific on Guam and Tinian Islands with the 29th Air Force then on Luzon with the 13th Air Force. These were some of the most memorable times of his life. To live at a wonderful time and see all the great strides in aviation was the joy of a life time.