Submitted by: Dan Rich

Robert J. Heston

June 22, 1919 - March 10, 2002

South Bend Tribune 3/13/2002

Robert J. Heston, 82, of Mishawaka, Ind., died at 2:37 p.m. Sunday, March 10, in the Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center. He was born on June 22, 1919, in South Bend, Ind., to the late Alonzo J. and Eleanor (Hickey) Heston. He was a retired employee of South Bend Hardware, and lived in South Bend until 1967 when he moved to Mishawaka.

He entered the military service in November 1942 and was discharged in December 1945. Robert was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He served with the 20th Air Force, 314 Wing, 29th Bomb Group, 6th Bomb Squadron. He entered military service with the U.S. Army Air Force in October 1942. He trained as a radio operator and gunner. In 1943 he entered Jamestown College for aeronautical education in preparation for pilot training at Santa Ana, Calif. His goal was to be a P-28 fighter pilot. While at Santa Ana, the war in Europe was coming to a close and trained personnel were needed for long- range bombers in the Pacific Theatre of operation. He was one selected to fill this need. He left the U.S. in late December 1944 for Guam in the Mariana Islands. En route, a stop was made after the battle of Leyte, Philippines, to help set up communications and evacuate the wounded.

In August 1945 he was elected for special assignment as a crew member to go to Atsugi Air Base, a captured kamikaze pilot's base, to set up communications, preparing to give the "Okay to Land" message to General MacArthur and the American occupation troops. Radio operators using the transmitters in the B-17 Bomber parked on the runway at Atsugi Air Base transmitted the first news to the U.S. for war correspondents. After communications equipment was set in place in Tokyo, he returned to Guam on October 1st. He returned to the U.S. and was discharged in December 1945.

On Jan. 3, 1942, in St. Joseph Church, South Bend, he married Catherine L. Walling, who survives. He is also survived by his children, Judith A. Heston of Bradenton, Fla., Lt. Col. Robert J. (Christi) Heston, USAF (retired) of Stafford, Va., Catherine J. (James) Baumgartner of Mishawaka, Mary E. (David) Dahl of White Bear Lake, Minn., Laura A. (Robert) Unger of Mishawaka and Margaret J. Smith (deceased in 1977); grandchildren, William J. Waldron, Stephen D. Waldron, Edward L. Waldron, Staff Sgt. Patrick A. Heston, USAF, Erin A. Melton, Leslie A. Neidig, Matthew J. Baumgartner, Michelle M. Burgdorf, Bernadette M. Baumgartner, Anika S. Dahl, Brittney L. Unger, Robert K. Unger, Dakota L. Unger, Jessica L. Unger, Theresa Smith Schrad; great-grandchildren, Nicholas Waldron, Stephen Waldron, Ashley Waldron, Zachery Waldron, Beau Waldron, Harry Neidig IV, Mary Lou Neidig, Denali Neidig, Jacob Neidig, Analeise Baumgartner, Joseph Schrad, Meghan Schrad, Caleb Schrad and Rebecca Schrad. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Norma K. Peterson of South Bend and Ruth L. Gleason of Lockport, Ill.; two brothers, Archbishop Edward L. Heston, C.S.C., of Rome, Italy, and Alonzo Joseph Heston Jr. of Payson, Ariz.

Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the HICKEY Funeral Home, 3516 East Jefferson, where a Rosary will said at 7:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11 a.m. Friday in St. Monica Catholic Church, Mishawaka. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger, Ind. Memorial contributions may be made to the Holy Cross Fathers, Holy Cross Association, Notre Dame, IN.