DATE OF Birth: 1 September 1931
RANK: Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
DATE OF MISSION: 21 December 1972
TAKE-OFF TIME: 1208 Local Guam Time
VIET NAM WALL PANEL: 01W - - Line 100

Col. Heggen was in the lead aircraft of a three-ship cell launched from Andersen AFB, Guam. The purpose of the mission was to bomb enemy targets near Hanoi, North Vietnam. Entering the target area, the force encountered heavy surface-to-air missile (SAM) fire. At 6:10AM, Local Vietnam Time, Colonel Heggen's aircraft was hit and instantly exploded into flames. Col. Heggen was in the instructor pilot's seat in the upper compartment and would have had to use the Navigator's hatch in the lower compartment to leave the aircraft. The aircraft commander saw Colonel Heggen starting down the stairs, presumably to bail out, but the aircraft was in a steep dive with rapidly increasing airspeed. Colonel Heggen was able to clear the burning aircraft and parachuted to safety. Listed as Missing-In-Action (MIA) Col. Heggen however gravely injured was captured by the Viet Cong and taken to a hospital were Colonel Heggen died of his injuries, 26 December 1972.

During an official visit to Hanoi in May 1973, representatives of the Four-Party Joint Military Team and specialist from the US Joint Casualty Resolution Center were shown the grave in the Van Dien Cemetery where, according to the North Vietnamese, Colonel Heggen was interred. As evidenced by a photograph taken by visitors, the grave contained a marker with Vietnamese lettering, the initials "K.R.H" and the date of death "26.12.72." Word was received on 8 March 1974 the North Vietnamese government agreed to allow an American aircraft to enter Hanoi, North Vietnam, on 13 March to recover the remains of 11 US service members who died in captivity. The remains were transported to the Central Identification Laboratory in Thailand. Col. Heggen's remains were included in this increment and were positively identified.

DATE OF Birth: 07 June 1932
RANK: Chief Master Sergeant, US