HECK CLEATUS L

CW4 Cleatus "Cleat" L Heck was a potential VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 02/06/1968 at the age of 41.4 from Heart attack
Mineral Wells, TX
Flight Class 57-8
Date of Birth 09/13/1926
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with UTT in 62-63, B/1 AVN 1 INF in 65-66, D/1/4 CAV in 66
Call sign in Vietnam CLOWN
This information was provided by Kerry Heck Mott, Charlie Ostick, 9th Reunion

More detail on this person: Retired in 1972 at Ft. Wolters, TX. Died in 1973. Mentioned in the Vietnam Diary as the lop-eared hillbilly. From Pope's statement: "Cleat was almost to retirement at Camp Wolters when he had his heartache(sic) (heart attack?). He was digging water line ditches for the trailer park he was opening at Mineral Wells.

He was instrumental in developing armed helicopters. He mount(ed) small cal machine guns on CH-21's and developed one of the early intervolometers(sic) for firing 2.75" rockets mounted on UH-1A's.

Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

This information was last updated 01/13/2025

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Date posted on this site: 04/13/2025