John A. Heintges

Lieutenant General John Arnold Heintges (9 December 191231 March 1994) was a United States Army officer who served in World War II, the Laotian Civil War, and the Vietnam War.

Early life

Heintges was born on 9 December 1912 in Koblenz, German Empire. His father was an officer in the Imperial German Army who was killed in action in the Battle of Tannenberg. In 1920 his family emigrated to the United States, sponsored by an uncle who was a major in the Army Medical Corps, and his mother remarried an infantry officer.

Military career Heintges attended the United States Military Academy and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1936. He served in the 45th Infantry Regiment Philippine Scouts from 1937 to 1939. He then served as a company commander and regimental Operations Officer (S3) of the 13th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division at Fort Jackson, South Carolina from 1940 to 1942.

During World War II, Heintges commanded the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division and then commanded the 7th Regiment. He saw action in Sicily, Italy, southern France and Germany and his regiment captured Adolf Hitler’s Berghof in Berchtesgaden on 4 May 1945.

Following graduation from the United States Army War College, Heintges served in the Army Operations (G3) section. In 1954 he was posted to West Germany as Chief, Army Section, U.S. Military Assistance Group, Germany where he prepared and implemented the training plan for the West German Army. From 1957 to 1958 he served as deputy commander of the Army Infantry Training Center at Fort Dix. In May 1967 he was succeeded in that role by General Creighton Abrams.

Heintges then served as deputy commander, Seventh United States Army. He subsequently served as Deputy Commander in Chief United States Army Europe, in Heidelberg, West Germany, Deputy Commander of the Eighth Army in Korea, and U.S. Representative to the Central Treaty Organization in Ankara, Turkey. He retired from the Army in 1971.

Later life Heintges died on 31 March 1994 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is buried at West Point Cemetery.

Decorations His decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star (2), Legion of Merit (2), Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star (3 V Device), Air Medal (12), Army Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, Fourragère and Croix de Guerre (with Palm).