CHARLES F. HEIL, born in Camden, N.J. on Oct. 30, 1921. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson H.S. in Jan. 1939. He was employed as an Aircraft Sheetmetal Worker Apprentice at the U.S. Naval Aircraft Factory, Philadelphia, Pa. In 1941 he received his Private Pilot's Certificate through the federally-sponsored Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTPj).

On March l8, 1942 he enlisted as an Army Aviation cadet and he received his wings at Dothan, Ala. in March 1943, After checking out in P-40's at Pinellas AAB, Fla. he joined the 88th. Ftr. Sq., 80th Ftr. Grp. in the CBI.

Operating from dirt strips in Assam and jungle strips in Burma he flew 146 missions in P-40's against the Japs. These involved fighter patrols over the Hump, interdiction strikes against ground targets and close support missions in support of Stilwell's Merrill's Marauders and Chinese Infantry. The highpoint of these missions involved the capture of Myitkyina airstrip and town in Japanese-occupied territory.

Close support targets were often 25-50 yds. from friendly troops and P-40's operating from the strip were subject to groundfire from Jap positions a few hundred yds. to 1500 yds. from the strip.

U.S. forces during this campaign (17 May to 3 Aug. 1944) were supplied solely by air. After his sq. received P-47's in Aug. 1944, he flew 92 missions primarily of a ground support and interdiction nature but including strikes against airfields.

On March 17, 1945 he married 2nd Lt. Helen D. Rogan, ANC, of Venice, Ill. at a strip in North Burma. He returned to the states in April 1945 after having flown 238 combat missions, a record in the 10th Air Force. He served as an IP in P-47's at Seymour Johnson AAB until separated from the service in Oct. 1945.

After attending the U. of Chicago as a Pre-Med student, he returned to the USAAF as an IP in T-6 aircraft at San Angelo, Tex. He attended the USAF Intelligence Officer's and Photo-Radar Interpretation Officer's Course at Denver, Colo. in 1949/50 and served as Sq. Opns. Officer in an RF-80 Photojet unit at Shaw AFB, S.C. In Dec. 1951 he commanded the 497th Recce Tech Sq. and served 4 years in Germany, 2 of which were at HQ USA FE as Chief, Target Intelligence Branch. Following tours at Rome, N.Y. (Dep. Chief, Intel. Data Processing Branch), HQ USEUCOM. Paris (Chief Air Intel. Analyst), and HQ TAC (Chief, Combat Intel. Br.) he retired on disability with the rank of Colonel.

He then served 7 years at the National Security Agency (NSA) as a civilian Intel. Research Analyst. Colonel Heil and his wife Helen now live in Crofton, Md. They have two sons; one, Michael, a Captain in the USAF, graduated from and is teaching at the USAF Academy; the other, Joseph, an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and is scheduled for duty on surface warships out of Jacksonville, Fla. (1980).