Band of Brothers grandson carries on airborne tradition

Photo By Sgt. Mike MacLeod | Staff Sgt. Mark Heyliger, now a first sergeant with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, is pinned with his grandfather’s jump wings by his wife, Wendi, during airborne school graduation July 2002 at Fort Benning, Ga. The paratrooper’s grandfather was 1st Lt. Frederick “Moose” Heyliger, an officer with the 101st Airborne Division during World War II, made famous by the HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers.  

FORT BRAGG, NC, UNITED STATES

12.03.2010

Story by Spc. Mike MacLeod 

1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Even at 80 years old, Frederick “Moose” Heyliger was an enormous man, according to his grandson who serves with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade.

First Sgt. Mark D. Heyliger, first sergeant of Company B, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment is often asked by young soldiers who “put two and two together” and ask the veteran of five deployments if he knows “that guy in that movie” and he says yes he does.

Ironically, Mark learned of his grandfather’s exploits as a first lieutenant with Easy Company, 506th PIR of the 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles” during World War II the same way the rest of America did – by reading the book and seeing the HBO mini-series, Band of Brothers.

The grandfather Mark knew had earned a degree in ornamental horticulture and sold fertilizer, among other jobs. He was a bit of a wanderer, with a grand plan to own an acre of land in every state so he could travel and camp all the time.

“I’d always known my grandfather served in the Army, and I knew that he had loved it, but he never talked about what he did during the war,” said Mark.“My dad mailed me a book while I was on recruiting duty. He said, ‘If you ever want to know what your grandfather did, you need to read the book.’”

That was nine years into the South Bend, Ind., native’s Army career. Mark enlisted in 1992, the first Heyliger in two generations to serve.

“He was always worried about having another fighting man in the family,” said Mark.

After serving in Hawaii with the 25th Infantry Division, with the 101st, and as a recruiter, Heyliger came to the All American Division in 2002. He served with 3rd Battalion, 504th PIR in Afghanistan (2003) and Iraq (2004), the 2nd Battalion, 504th in Afghanistan (2005-2006) and Iraq (2007-2008), and 1st Brigade staff in Iraq (2009-2010).

Unfortunately, Moose Heyliger never lived to see his grandson become a paratrooper, though his jump wings were pinned on Mark when he graduated from Airborne School.

“I looked pretty silly because I was the only novice paratrooper running around with two combat jump stars on his wings,” said Mark.

In 2004 wearing his grandfather’s wings, Mark jumped into St. Mere Eglise, France, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion. Now those wings sit in a box waiting to see what the youngest Heyliger, 11-year-old Kiefer, will do.

“I’m glad to serve and to carry on, to find what my grandfather enjoyed so much about the Army. When I jump, I like to think of him,” said Mark. “What keeps me in the Army, though, is the people. The next generation of young guys is what keeps me going.”

Mark will spend the next three years at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La. Following that, he would like to finish his career either back at 82nd or with the 101st in his grandfather’s regiment, the 506th “Band of Brothers.”

“I always wanted to be airborne,” he said.

• Date Taken: 12.03.2010
• Date Posted: 12.03.2010 23:36
• Story ID: 61326
• Location: FORT BRAGG, NC, US