Veteran's History Project - Dean J. Hecker

Dean J. Hecker

First Sergeant, U.S. Army (retired)

July 1942 to January 1946

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is one of many American Veteran accounts published in The Sidney Sun-Telegraph. The writer, who is from Potter, is conducting the interviews as part of the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project.

The 80th Infantry Division was first organized for duty in World War I. During that war, the 80th Division was a factor in the French sector and did significant work.

This was a Division of "Unique Distinction" – never having failed to gain it's objective. It was ranked first of all national Army Divisions by the War Department.

Many events led the way to more conflicts after the "Great War." Adolph Hitler and his regime as well as the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor brought American forces into the fray of World War II.

In July 1942, the 80th Division was called back into active service. Most soldiers reported to Camp Forrest, Tenn. – named for a Civil War Confederate Commander of Cavalry troopers.

Dean Hecker was notified by the Cheyenne County draft board that he was drafted into the U.S Armed forces in December 1941. The notice came after the attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor.

Dean had family issues to take care of before going away. With the help of friends and family and the Selective Service Board, his report date was deferred for about eight months. His report date nearly coincided with the activation of the 80th Infantry Division in July 1942.

The military needed plenty of warriors now. After successfully completing his physical at Cheyenne, Wyo., and then reporting to Fort Logan, Colo., he was now headed for Camp Forrest.

This was his first train ride of any sort. The train was full of young men from the midwest. All had new haircuts, new boots, new clothes and headed to somewhere they had never heard of. The training was rather long and arduous.

Some of the soldiers-in-training were not familiar with the physical regimen of basic training and had trouble keeping up. In time, many got to the best physical prowess they had ever obtained.

After the drill and ceremonies, first aid, road marches, rifle marksmanship, military customs and courtesies and other classes, men of the 317th Infantry Regiment graduated and next went to advanced training. After stops in Kansas and California, they loaded onto trains and were headed to Fort Dix, N.J.

The 80th Division loaded onto the Queen Mary. This world renown cruise ship was capable of transporting the entire 80th Division across the Atlantic Ocean. The ship sailed on the Fourth of July 1944. After a stop in Scotland and then a trip to southern England, the warriors arrived in Normandy at Utah Beach about two months after D-Day.

As they neared the coast of France, there were a series of barrage balloons set. These devices were like a zeppelin that were tethered to the ground by steel cables. Should enemy aircraft attempt to strafe the landing ships, they would get caught in the steel cables and crash.

The division assembled at St. Jores, France. The division was soon initiated into battle when it took over the LeMans bridgehead.

Hecker was with a group of soldiers who were now being trucked into France. They had been in training for quite a time. As the truck moved ahead, they passed a cemetery containing the graves of soldiers. There were hundreds of white stones, in rows and columns.

The training they had undergone now took on some reality.

Overall, the mission was to remove German forces from France. The enemy was dug in and there seemed to be lots of them. Hecker said that it was difficult making any headway because of the numerous hedgerows. They were tough and had to be hacked through.

Hecker was now in combat and it was to last for 18 months. He was promoted more often than others it seemed.

One evening, the company commander asked for four volunteers to step forward for a mission; Hecker was one.

A recon patrol had located a Nazi "tiger" tank. It was not far away and needed to be immobilized. The men obtained a bazooka and other weapons and moved out. That night, the tank was taken out of action and Americans safely returned. Risky, but necessary ... and not just anyone would volunteer for that.

For a period of several days, Hecker and his company of soldiers were trying to cross the Moselle River. The enemy was proficient at blowing up the bridges needed. The American engineers tasked with bridging were trying hard to re-constitute the work but the going was slow. Hecker and his group were dug into foxholes.

The incoming enemy fire was steady and the safest place was in the ground. In addition, it rained daily and – as expected – the foxholes were wet and sloppy. After several days, the crossing was developed.

He didn't know it but a good case of "emersion foot" had occurred. (In Vietnam, this was called "jungle root," where the skin on human feet gets so soft and full of bacteria that the soldier can hardly walk.)

Besides problems with his feet, he needed to escape enemy fire and slid down an embankment, injuring his left knee. Combat for 18 months couldn't have been easy.

As the war raged on, American forces needed to replace casualties as soon as possible. Since Hecker had been placed on the injured list with because of a shrapnel injury, knee issues and bad feet he was one selected to go to Tedworth, England, where he and others would train members of the Army Air-Corps to become infantrymen.

This could be a challenge, but the replacements learned quickly and were sent to battle.

Hecker was transferred from the infantry to a logistics command. He was now part of the 26th Truck Company of the 317th Regiment, 80th Division. They moved men and supplies all over the Division's Area of Operations.

Hecker kept in touch with his family by writing letters. His pay had been increased by about double, but there were not very many places to spend it. There were some poker games and some entertainers had made it to the area, including the Glen Miller Band and Bob Eberly, a popular big band singer.

By the end of W.W. II, his division had seen 277 days of combat. It had captured nearly 213,000 enemy soldiers. It was a stalwart of Patton's Third Army. The division sustained over 17,000 casualties including more than 3,000 killed in action.

In January 1946, the Allied objectives had been met and soldiers were being sent home. The return trip was aboard a much smaller ship that didn't take the ocean's waves so well. Eventually, they landed at Hampton Roads, Va. – across the river from Norfolk Naval Station.

Very soon, the train needed to transport the soldiers to the Midwest had arrived and was loaded. He arrived at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and then caught a northbound train to Omaha.

Hecker arrived in Sidney with his duffle bag and in uniform. A relative caught sight of him and took him on home.

Hecker earned the Expert Infantryman's Badge, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and European Theater of Operations Medal, among others. He is an Expert Rifleman.

Once back in the Sidney area, he found a way to begin farming again. He received a stipend through the GI Bill. He joined the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He had to stop the V.F.W. Honor Guard at age 90.

In his words, he "served and did what he had to do."

Hecker died last week (June 25) at the age of 95.

Good job, 1st Sgt. Hecker. Thanks for your service.