Arnold resident Richard A. Heigert, 82, will be inducted into the Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame next week.
“It is really a distinct privilege,” Heigert said.
The Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame, a nonprofit organization established in 2019, aims to recognize veterans connected to Missouri with honorable military service who have contributed to the veteran’s community in the state or nation. Heigert is one of six veterans being inducted into the hall of fame this year, along with one honorary inductee. This is the sixth class of inductees since the first one in 2020.
This year’s Missouri Veterans Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24, in the Rotunda at the Missouri Capitol, 201 W. Capitol Ave., Jefferson City. The ceremony is open to the public.
Heigert’s military, community service
Heigert was drafted into the Army in 1966 and once he completed basic training, he spent two and a half years in Germany. Heigert served on active duty until 1970, but that same year he joined the Army Reserves. In 1991, he served for two months during Desert Storm. In 2004, Heigert retired from the reserves with the rank of colonel.
“I was originally commissioned in the Corps of Engineers as a second lieutenant,” Heigert said. “After I retired, I spent most of my Reserve time as a military intelligence officer.”
Heigert also began a career with the Defense Mapping Agency and National Geospatial Agency in 1963 during a work study program in college. Later, he returned to work for Defense Mapping as a cartographer/photogrammetrist and program/budget manager. Heigert retired in 2002.
Since 1980, Heigert has been a member of the American Legion at Rock Memorial Post 283 in Imperial. From 1984 to 1985, he was the commander for the post. Since 1985, he has been the post’s financial officer. From 2003 to 2004, he was the state commander of the American Legion.
In 2004, he was appointed as a state and national legislative representative for American Legion in Missouri. Heigert was also a national vice commander for the American Legion.
“That’s where I got involved with legislation advocating with legislatures at both national and state (levels) on veterans’ issues,” Heigert said.
From 1996 to 2024, he worked with the Missouri Veterans Commission as a secretary of the board.
From 2005-2018, Heigert served as the legislative chairman for the Missouri Association of Veterans Organizations, a coalition of the state’s veteran organizations that advocates for veteran benefits and supports legislative efforts to protect Missouri veterans.
“I worked with the legislative chairmen from various military veteran organizations in Missouri, like the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), the Amvets, DAV (Disabled American Veterans), and kind of coordinated all the activities that we did in advocating for different legislation, things like keeping the veterans’ homes open, the Missouri veterans’ cemeteries going,” Heigert said.
From 2012 to about 2023, he served as the secretary of the Jefferson Barracks POW-MIA Museum, which works to raise awareness about U.S. military members who were captured by enemies, whether they were returned alive or deceased or are still missing.
Richard currently serves as a member of the American Legion’s Children and Youth Committee. The group focuses on ways to care for and protect children of veterans.
Heigert and his wife, Beverly, have two stepdaughters, one daughter and three grandchildren.