Death of Lt. J. W. Heacock, Jr.

Death of Lt. J. W. Heacock

 

Edinburg Daily Review 1944

Death of Local Pilot Confirmed

Official notification of the death of Lt. Joseph Wilson Heacock, Jr., former Edinburg youth, who was killed when the P-38 he was piloting crashed over an airbase somewhere in England, was received Wednesday by his wife, the former Miss Dorothy Louise Hager of Weslaco.

Mrs. Heacock had previously received word of her husband’s death Monday in a letter from Sgt. Marvin Jones of Donna, who witnessed the crash and attended the funeral services held in Cambridge England on July 10.

Salute From Air

Six of Lt. Heacock’s buddies who were unable to attend the services, flew over the cemetery information, saluting the group with the P-38s they were flying.

P-38s in Formation

Lt. Heacock, who would have celebrated his 25th birthday on July 27, was a graduate of 1936 from Edinburg high school, where he was an active member of the camera and the Red Shirt Band.

He organized the Edinburg 20-30 club and was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church.

In October 1940, he enlisted in the Texas National Guard, along with Sgt. Jones and other Valley boys, and was taken into the regular army as a member of the 141st Infantry, 36th Division at Camp Bowie.  He received a promotion to corporal and from there was promoted to the rank of sergeant.

Transferred to Air Corps

In July 1942, he was transferred to the army air corps to receive his training as a pilot.  He received his wings on March 20, 1943, at Brooks Field, he broke a nine months record in skeet shooting, a record set by enlisted men and officers.

Continuing his interest run camera work, he was pilot of a P-38 in a Photo Reconnaissance Squadron at Will Rogers’ Field, Oklahoma, for a time.

P-38 Features

 

Landing in England on May 1, 1944, he participated in several bombing missions over occupied Europe, and on June 1 became the leader of Flight C, an appointment accompanied by promotion to first lieutenant.

(Note: According to John Sterling, "Uncle Joe flew 10 missions in June, 1944, the first on D-Day. Six of the 9 pilots who flew missions for the 33rd PRS on D-Day were killed within a year.")

In addition to his wife and small son, Gary Wilson who reside in Weslaco, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Heacock, Sr., of Edinburg, Lt. Heacock is survived by: three sisters, Mrs. Lee Bair and Mrs. C. W. Sterling, both of Edinburg, and Mrs. Rex Hunter of Bartlesville, Oklahoma: two brothers, Rev. R. K. Heacock of Laredo, and Stephen Heacock of Houston; and a foster sister, Mrs. Sam Brandon of Edinburg.

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