William P. "Bill" Heaston
William (Bill) P. Heaston, Captain, U.S. Army JAGC, 101st Airborne Division, Camp Eagle, Vietnam September 1968 – December 1969. A native of Omaha, Bill graduated from Creighton University and was commission a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps May 1965 after completing 4 years of ROTC. Between 1965 and 1968, he participated in the Army’s Excess Leave program. This allowed him to attend Creighton Law School (unfunded) and report for active duty during the summer months. One summer, he assisted deployment of the 1st Division (The Big Red One) from Ft. Riley KS to Vietnam. Another summer he completed the Airborne course at Ft. Benning GA, earning his jump wings. Upon receiving his law degree and passing the Nebraska Bar Exam, he attended the JAGC Basic Course in Charlottesville VA and volunteered for duty in Vietnam. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) arriving in September 1968. During his 15 months at Camp Eagle, as a member of the JAG Office, Bill engaged in all aspects of legal work. This included preparing wills, reviewing contracts, paying claims, tax assistance, defending soldiers accused of crimes, handling Article 15’s, prosecuting soldiers convicted of crimes and other matters. Sometimes cases involved traveling to outlying bases or to LBJ – the Long Binh Jail. In August 1969, he met a Red Cross “Donut Dolly,” from Baltimore MD newly assigned to the 101st. It was a whirlwind romance and they married in 1970. After Vietnam, Bill extended his Army commitment by studying German at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey CA and securing a 3-year tour in Germany. He was assigned to V Corps Headquarters Frankfurt Germany. Next. he taught Law at USMA (United States Military Academy) West Point NY, where he also attended NYU Law School to earn his LLM degree. Other duty assignments included Anchorage AK, Ft Riley KS, and Defense Appellate in Springfield VA. Among Bill’s military honors are the Bronze Star Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal. LTC William Heaston retired from military service in June 1986 and returned to Omaha for a new career in the telecommunications industry. That resulted in moves to CO and SD until his final retirement in 2016 and a return to Omaha. He died of a brain tumor in 2020, survived by his wife of 50 years, 4 children and 10 grandchildren.
