Summary Information
Donald L. Heiliger Papers and Photographs
1955-2005
WVM Mss 1316
5.1 linear ft. (9 archives boxes, 3 oversized boxes, and 4 oversized folders) of papers, 0.2 linear ft. (1 archives box and 4 negative flaps) of photographs, 1 film reel.
Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)
Papers and photographs pertaining to the career Air Force service of Colonel Donald L. Heiliger, a Madison, Wisconsin native who served as a pilot in Vietnam, was shot down and held as a prisoner for six years, and served as an air attache' to several different countries. The collection is comprised of personal letters, invitations, correspondence, flight records, training materials, service records, military papers, certificates, information articles, and photographs documenting Heiliger's entire Air Force career. The majority of manuscripts pertain to his time as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Heiliger was captured in 1967 after ejecting from his F-105 Thunderchief that had been hit by ground fire while flying a bombing mission over North Vietnam. Included are a few letters written by Heiliger to his parents and to his first wife, Carol, during his time as a POW. There are also letters written by Heiliger's mother to him while he was a prisoner. There is correspondence his parents received from government agencies and private organizations over Heiliger's status as a POW and efforts to have him released. Also found is a large collection of correspondence Heiliger received after his return home in 1973, mainly from people who had worn his name on POW remembrance bracelets. Also included are cards and welcome home signs that were made by Wisconsin schoolchildren and Madison residents. Other manuscripts pertaining to his POW time include materials pertaining to his reorientation program after his release, regulations and instructions regarding mailing items to POWs, and articles collected by his parents pertaining to the Vietnam War and American prisoners. There is also a large collection of materials pertaining to his post-Vietnam service as an air attache' with Uruguay, Chile, and Israel. Included are military papers and reports from his time spent working with each country, along with a large collection of personal invitations and thank you letters he received. Other manuscripts from his service include military papers and reports from his ROTC training and his service as a navigations instructor, flight records spanning his entire career, medical evaluations, and various certificates and promotion-related documents. Photographs in the collection also cover his entire service. Included are group images from his ROTC and Air Force navigation training classes, a few images of Heiliger posing next to an F-105, and a group image of he and his fellow pilots on nuclear alert while stationed in South Korea. Images from his attache' service include group photographs at events, Heiliger posing with various United States Air Force generals, and some group images from his assignments abroad. Of particular interest is a photograph taken during the signing of the first agreement between the United States Air Force and the Israeli Air Force. A few images of 9/11 attack on the Pentagon round out the photographs. Also included in the collection is a visual recording of a press conference given by Heiliger after release and return to the United States in 1973. The film shows Heiliger answering questions about his time in prison, his thoughts about the war protesters, and how he was adjusting back into everyday life. The end of the film is comprised of footage taken of Heiliger landing at an airport and meeting his parents.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss01316 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Donald L. Heiliger was born January 16, 1937 in Madison, Wisconsin. He first joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard as a member of the band, but later transferred to the Air Force ROTC program while in college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received a commission as a 2nd lieutenant after graduating in 1958 and was sent for navigation training at Harlingen Air Force Base (Texas). After serving as an instructor at Harlingen for several years, Heiliger was sent to Nellis Air Force Base (Los Vegas, Nevada) in 1965 for specialized training in piloting the F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber. Heiliger was then stationed in Southeast Asia where he alternated from serving on nuclear strike duty in South Korea and flying bombing missions against targets in North Vietnam.
In 1967, Heiliger was assigned to a squadron known as Ryan's Raiders, which specialized in flying all-weather strike missions against North Vietnamese targets. On May 15, 1967, Heiliger's plane was struck by anti-aircraft fire that forced him to eject over North Vietnamese territory. He was eventually captured and spent the next six years as a prisoner of war, spending some time in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison. After being released in 1973, Heiliger obtained a masters degree and continued to serve in the Air Force as an air attaché to countries such as Uruguay, Chile, and Israel.
Heilger retired from the Air Force with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1985, one month short of thirty years, and took a job with an international marketing firm based out of Washington D.C. He moved to Stoughton, Wisconsin in 1987 and became an active participant in local government. Heiliger has been married twice. His second marriage was to Cheryl Edwards soon after his release in 1973. He has three children from his first marriage and was still married when he was shot down over Vietnam.
Heiliger passed away in March 23, 2016 and was buried in Roselawn Memorial Park in Monona, Wisconsin.
Scope and Content Note
The Donald L. Heiliger Collection is organized into four series: Training and Vietnam, POW, POW Release, and Post-Vietnam Service.
Training and Vietnam (1955-1967) pertains to materials relating to Heiliger's ROTC and Air Force training, along with records of his Vietnam experience prior to his capture in 1967. Most of the materials consist of military records, flight and navigation training materials, and medical evaluations. The flight records provide an overview of his flight time serving as a pilot and as a navigator. Medical records were part of his evaluation for clearance to fly. Correspondence is mainly letters written by Heiliger to his parents while he was serving in Southeast Asia, with Heiliger asking about the welfare of the family and how things were back in Wisconsin. Also included is one letter written by his mother that was returned to sender after Heiliger was shot down three days after she had mailed it. There are a few newspaper clippings pertaining to his pilot training, along with certificates from his ROTC and navigation training. Photographs include images of Heiliger posing with his ROTC, navigation and flight training classes, along with images of him posing next to F-105s while in Vietnam. There is also one photograph of Heiliger with three other pilots that was taken while they were on nuclear alert in South Korea in 1966. All of the photographs are labeled.
POW (1967-1973) includes materials pertaining to Heiliger's time as a POW during the Vietnam War. The bulk is correspondence his parents received from various government and private organizations concerning Heiliger's POW status. This correspondence discusses the proper procedures for writing POWs and what can be mailed, the status of negotiations with the North Vietnamese government for their release, and support for the families of POWs. Also included are letters his parents received notifying them of his disappearance over North Vietnam, and the verification that Heiliger was in fact a POW. In 1971, his parents saw a television broadcast of the release of the three pilots and mistakenly identified one of them as being their son. A correspondence from the Department of the Air Force, along with a photograph, informing Heiliger's parents that he was not one of three POW pilots released is included in this series. There are also condolence letters from friends, family, the White House, and other federal and state government organizations. There are a few letters written by Heiliger to his parents, wife Carol, and his children. These letters tend to be very brief and reassure that he is safe and well. There are also letters written by his parents that were apparently sent to Heiliger while he was held captive. Apparently his mother typed a letter every month he was in prison, but did not necessarily send them to him. It is unclear as to which letters were actually sent.
POW Release (1973) pertain to Heiliger's return to the United States after his release. Most of the manuscripts in this series are welcome home materials, many being correspondence he received from people who had worn his name on a POW bracelet. The bracelets were made by the private organization “Voices in Vital America,” a Los Angeles based student organization that produced and distributed them during the Vietnam War. Included are letters and cards asking him about his health and well being, and wishing him a happy transition to life in the United States. Many of the letters express a personal connection to Heiliger, and relief that he was finally released. They have been arranged alphabetically by the last name of the sender. Heiliger included copies of typed replies to the people who had worn the bracelets. The thank-you replies have been arranged alphabetically by the last name of the receiver. There is also a large collection of hand-made welcome home greetings made by Wisconsin schoolchildren, most of which are oversized. The “Day of Gratitude Book” includes signatures from the citizens of Harford, Connecticut and was put together to welcome home POWs. The series also includes materials that Heiliger received as part of a reorientation program for POWs returning to the United States. Included are historical overviews of events that had taken place while they were captive and educational manuscripts reorienting them to civilian life. A 16mm reel-to-reel film was taken during a press conference Heiliger gave while he was receiving hospital evaluations at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Dayton, Ohio) soon after his release. Heiliger gave the conference with another former POW, but the film has been edited as to include only Heiliger. The news conference addresses his experiences in prison, his views on the protests against the war, and his plans for the future. The last two minutes of the film show Heiliger disembarking a passenger plane and being greeted by his parents and a large crowd holding welcome home signs.
Post-Vietnam Service (1973-2005) are primarily manuscripts and photographs that pertain to Heiliger's service as an air attaché stationed in Uruguay, Chile, and Israel. A large portion of the series is made up of invitations and thank-you letters he received while serving as an air attaché. Most of the invitations were personally sent by various diplomats from other countries inviting Heiliger to attend dinner events. They have been arranged alphabetically by the name of the country extending the invitation. The thank-you letters were written to Heiliger thanking him for his efforts during tours and visits of upper level military officers and government officials. They have been arranged alphabetically by the last name of the letter's author. There are also military papers including flight records and medical evaluations performed between 1973 and 1985. Papers pertaining to his retirement from the Air Force are included in this series, along with certificates he received after his retirement. Photographs include various images of Heiliger posing with generals and other high level Air Force officials who were involved with the diplomatic efforts of the military. Also included is a photograph of Heiliger posing with Zsa Zsa Gabor at an event she hosted for military attachés. This series also includes patriotic photographs pertaining to the September 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Donald L. Heiliger, McFarland, WI, 2009. Accession Number: Mss 2008.149 and Mss 2009.8.
Processed by Andrew J. Baraniak in 2010
Contents List
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Series: Training and Vietnam
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Biographical Information, 2008
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Subseries: Correspondence
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Don Heiliger
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Box
1
Folder
2
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To Parents, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
3
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From Mother, 1967
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Certificates, 1958-1966
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Box
10
Folder
1
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Oversized certificates, 1955-1958
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Subseries: Flight Records
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Aircrew Standardization and Evaluation Records, 1959-1964
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Individual Records, 1965-1967
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Non-Pilot Records, 1959-1964
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Student Records, 1959
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Box
1
Folder
9
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Medical Evaluation, 1958
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Box
1
Folder
10
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Military Papers, 1958-1965
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Box
1
Folder
11
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Navigation Training Reports, 1961-1962
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Box
1
Folder
12
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Newspaper Articles, Training, 1965
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Subseries: Photographs
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Box
9
Folder
1
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ROTC [2] , 1957-1958
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Box
9
Folder
2
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Navigation Training [2] , 1962
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Box
9
Folder
3
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Flight Training [2] , 1965
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Box
9
Folder
4
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South Korea, On Nuclear Alert [1] 1966
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Box
9
Folder
5
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Vietnam [4] , 1966-1967
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Series: POW
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Box
10
Folder
1
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Certificates, 1973
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Box
10
Folder
11
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Wisconsin POW/MIA Week Proclamation, 1971
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Subseries: Correspondence
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From Don Heiliger
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Box
1
Folder
13
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To Carol, 1970-1972
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Box
1
Folder
14
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To Parents, 1970-1973
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Box
1
Folder
15
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Postcards to Parents, 1970-1973
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To Don Heiliger
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Box
1
Folder
16
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From Mother, 1997-1972
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To Mr. and Mrs. James H. Heiliger
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Personal
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Box
1
Folder
17
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From Carol Heiliger, 1970-1972
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Box
1
Folder
18
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From Grandchildren, 1970
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Box
1
Folder
19
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From Friends, undated
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Government
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From Department of the Air Force
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Box
1
Folder
20-24
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1967-1971
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Box
2
Folder
1-2
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1972-1973
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Box
2
Folder
3
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Misidentification of Heiliger During POW Release, 1971
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Box
9
Folder
6
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Photographs [6] , 1971
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Box
2
Folder
4
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White House, 1970-1972
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Box
2
Folder
5
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Wisconsin Legislature, 1971
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Organizations
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Box
2
Folder
8
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Cards, 1968-1972
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Box
2
Folder
6
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From Committee of Liaison with Families, 1970-1972
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Box
2
Folder
7
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Various Organizations, 1967-1972
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Subseries: Military Papers
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Box
2
Folder
9
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Pay Statements, 1967-1972
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Box
2
Folder
10
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POW Mailing Instructions, 1968-1972
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Box
2
Folder
11
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Promotion Telegram, 1968
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Box
2
Folder
12
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Newspaper Clippings, 1967-1970
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Ov
26
Folder
13
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Plea to North Vietnam for POW Release, 1970
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Box
2
Folder
13
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Vietnam War Articles, 1968-1970
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Ov
26
Folder
14
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Oversized Articles, 1974
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Series: POW Release
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Box
2
Folder
14
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Department of the Air Force Memorandums, 1973
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Box
10
Folder
4
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Newspaper Articles, 1968-1975
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Film Can
1
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Press Conference and Return Home, 1973
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Box
2
Folder
15
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Reorientation Program, 1973
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Box
2
Folder
16
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Course Material, 1973
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Box
2
Folder
17
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Personnel Information Brochure, 1972
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Subseries: Welcome Home Greetings
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Correspondence
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Box
2
Folder
18
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From Family, 1973
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Box
10
Folder
10
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Oversized from Family, 1973
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POW Bracelet Wearers
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Box
2
Folder
19-23
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Cards, 1973
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Box
3
Folder
1-11
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Letters, 1973
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Box
3
Folder
12-13
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Thank-You Replies from Don Heiliger, 1973
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Box
3
Folder
14
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Organizations, 1973
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Box
4
Folder
1-6
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Schoolchildren, 1973
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Oversized Greetings
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Box
10
Folder
7-9
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1973
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Box
12
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1973
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Box
4
Folder
7
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Various Friends, 1973
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Box
4
Folder
8
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Envelopes, 1973
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Box
4
Folder
9
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Gift Books, 1973
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Box
8
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Day of Gratitude Book, 1973
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Box
9
Folder
7
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Photographs [4] , 1973
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Box
4
Folder
10
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Presentation Events, 1973
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Box
4
Folder
11
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POW Bumper Sticker, 1973
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Box
11
Folder
1-2
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Welcome Home Banners, 1973
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Series: Post-Vietnam Service
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Subseries: Articles
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Box
4
Folder
12
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Defense Spending, 1980-1985
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Box
10
Folder
5
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Newspaper Articles, 1975-1985
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Box
4
Folder
13
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Certificates
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Ov
28
Folder
10
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Lance P. Sijan Award, 2000
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Subseries: Correspondence
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To Don Heiliger
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Box
4
Folder
14-21
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Individual Thank-You Letters, 1977-1985
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Personal Invitations
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Box
5
Folder
1-11
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1976-1985
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Box
6
Folder
1-8
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1976-1985
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Subseries: Military Papers
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Attache Appointments
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Box
6
Folder
9
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Chile, 1977-1980
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Box
6
Folder
10
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Israel, 1983-1984
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Box
6
Folder
11
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Uruguay, 1976-1978
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Flight Record
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Box
6
Folder
12
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Individual Flight Record, 1972-1985
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Box
10
Folder
3
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Oversized Flight Record, 1974
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Box
6
Folder
13-14
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Medical Evaluations, 1973-1986
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Box
7
Folder
1-2
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Medical Evaluations, 1973-1986
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Ov
28
Folder
11
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Oversized Evaluations, 1984
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Box
7
Folder
3
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Promotions and Awards, 1972-1983
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Box
7
Folder
4
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Retirement, 1985
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Box
7
Folder
5
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Seating Placement Card, undated
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Box
10
Folder
6
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Service Records, 1979
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Box
7
Folder
6
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Tour Booklet, Air Force Attache Tour, 1979
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Box
7
Folder
7
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Training Papers, 1975-1982
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Subseries: Photographs
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Attaché
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Assignments
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Box
9
Folder
8
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Chile [4] , 1978
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Box
9
Folder
9
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Israel [6] , 1982-1985
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Box
9
Folder
10
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Signing of First Military Agreement [2] , 1982
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PhOv
23
Folder
9
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Signed by David Irvy [2] , circa 1982
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Box
9
Folder
11
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Class Photograph, 1975
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Box
9
Folder
12
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Events [2] , circa 1980
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Color PhN
1
Folder
14
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Events, (color negative) [1] circa 1980
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Box
9
Folder
13
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Arlington Cemetery Service [3] , 1980
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Box
9
Folder
14
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Dinner with Eva Gabor [4] , 1980
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Box
9
Folder
15
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With Air Force Personnel [2] , circa 1980
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Color PhN
1
Folder
15, 13
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With Air Force Personnel (color negative) [2] , circa 1980
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Box
9
Folder
16
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Generals [7] , circa 1980
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Color PhN
1
Folder
16
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Generals, (color negative) [1] circa 1980
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Color PhOv
2
Folder
3-5
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Oversized and Autographed [3] , circa 1980
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Awards and Promotions
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Box
9
Folder
17
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Promotion to Colonel, 1979
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Box
9
Folder
18
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Silver Star Presentation, 1974
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Box
9
Folder
19
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9/11 Pentagon Attack [9] , 2001-2005
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