Richard Bagley Heimbach
Era: World War II
Military Branch: Army
Richard Bagley Heimbach entered the U.S. Army September 1942.
He served as a Corporal and spent a year-and-a-half training recruits in continental U.S. He was assigned to the 967th Quartermaster Service Company of the 6th Emgineer Special Brigade.
He sailed from Plymouth, England, aboard an "LCT (landing craft tank) with four trucks of 90mm shells. We were to land on D-Day at Normandy Beach at H+8.The LCT was commanded by a Native American ensign with a large Indian chief insignia on the aft superstructure.
"We owe our lives to him. As we were approaching the beach an 88 m.m. shell missed us by ten feet. He turned the ship out to the Channel where we spent most of the day as the beach was not secured.
"We finally landed on 'Dog White' which was the only segment not completely wiped out as a smoke screen from a grass fire covered our landing. Our first duty was to move dead bodies so the heavy cargo could land.
"Moved supplies from ship to shore for nearly a year at various points inland, then to Antwerp where sailed to Norfolk, VA.
He was honorably dischrged in December, 1945 at Camp McCoy, Wis.
Source: Hometown Heroes: The St. Louis County World War II Project. 109.
Mr. Heimbach participated in the D-Day landing at Normandy at Omaha Beach.
He wrote: "{We were} scheduled to land on D-Day at Omaha Beach at H+8 on LCT {landing craft tank} loaded with 90mmshells--Nearing the beach orders received to turn around due to congestion of equipment and bodies piled on the beach--At that moment a mighty hand savedus as an 88 shell missed us by 10' as we were turning--Returned next AM--Details of beach are gruesome."
He arrived back home on Christmas Day, 1945.
Mr. Heimbach was born October 7, 1921, in Duluth, Minnesota, the son of Carlisle and Charlene Heimbach.
Mr. Heimbach died at age 86 in Two Harbors, Minnesota, on December 20, 2007.
Source: Duluth News Tribune, December 23, 2009; "Rotarians Who Were in the Armed Services" form
