John Gerald Heiselman

John Gerald Heiselman was born and raised in New Hampton, where he attended Saint Mary’s Elementary and graduated from New Hampton Community High School in 1962. According to his parents, fishing and hunting were among Heiselman’s favorite hobbies. He was married in August of 1964 and worked at John Deere in Waterloo. Heiselman was drafted in to the Army in 1967. He completed his Basic Training at Fort Bliss, TX, and his Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk, LA. Heiselman earned the rank of Specialist 4 and was stationed at Dau Tieng, South Vietnam, where he served as an infantryman in the 25th Infantry Division. On March 6, 1968 SP4 Heiselman was killed in action during Operation Saratoga in the Gia Dinh Province of South Vietnam at 23 years old. Businesses in New Hampton closed during his funeral mass at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church. He was the first person from Chickasaw County killed while serving in Vietnam. A flag and plaque was dedicated to SP4 Heiselman when the new New Hampton Community High School opened in the fall of 1968. The New Hampton VFW post bears his name. His body was buried in the New Hampton Cemetery.