SERVICE & COMMITMENT A LIFESTYLE, NOT A SLOGAN LETTER TO THE EDITOR - TESTIMONIAL
Dwaine Heinrich arrived in South Vietnam, a faraway land where he was destined to spend his 19th and 20th birthdays as an 18 year old US Army Private in January 1967. In early 1968 he was a Sergeant serving with Army support troops near Vietnam’s old imperial capital city of Hue during the infamous Tet Offensive. In a letter to the editor, one of his former fellow soldiers, Neil Jennings, wrote about Mayor Heinrich. He referred to him as Sergeant Dewey. Jennings wrote about how their position was under rocket and mortar attack for 44 consecutive days during the offensive. During this time, Sergeant Dewey and other troops were in Hue City retrieving abandoned equipment left behind when the North Vietnamese overran the city. At this time, the North Vietnamese still controlled most of the city with their flag flying over the Citadel. Sergeant Dewey also took his turns in the perimeter trenches and bunkers. During one difficult period, a much needed self-propelled gun lost a track outside the perimeter and repairs could not be made until the following day. At dusk, Sergeant Dewey and another young soldier went out well in front and set up a machine gun as the first line of defense for the exhausted gun crew. After a long night, the gun was successfully put back into operation. February 29, 1968 was a life-defining day for Dwaine Heinrich. On that day, while attempting to make contact with the newly arrived 82nd Airborne, an ambush left among the dead his friend and First Sergeant Ed Kaminski. Later that day, less than 2 weeks after Dwaine’s 20th birthday, he was appointed Acting First Sergeant and NonCommissioned Officer in Charge, a position he held until August when he returned to the States. In his letter, fellow soldier Neil Jennings went on to say that Sergeant Dewey did his job very well under the most difficult of conditions at a very young age. He closed his letter by saying “If the young soldiers he led and served so well many years ago were the voters in your Mayoral election, the vote would be unanimous.”
LIONS EYEGLASS MISSION - MEXICO
SALVATION ARMY VOLUNTEER WORK
Paid for by Dwaine Heinrich and Friends
• CURRENT PRESIDENT NORTH DAKOTA LEAGUE OF CITIES • PAST LIONS DISTRICT GOVERNOR • FOUNDER, HEINRICH AND COMPANY EST. 1980 • MARRIED TO JOYCE - 45 YEARS • PAST PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH DAKOTA ELKS ASSOCIATION • BLOOD DRIVE VOLUNTEER WORKER • MEMBER OF BASILICA OF SAINT JAMES PARISH • EYEGLASS RECYCLING COORDINATOR • GRADUATE SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY • PAST PRESIDENT - FOUNDATION FOR ADVANCEMENT OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
MEALS ON WHEELS DONATION / VOLUNTEERING
RE-ELECT HEINRICH JUNE 9TH