Donald A. Heichel II was born, raised, and went to high school in the Region in La Porte, Indiana. He still resides there, yet when he goes into the office to work, he’s in Indianapolis, as he currently works for the Department of Defense as a labor relations specialist. His life has been marked by a passion to strive consistently forward for the security of the nation as a whole as a veteran.
Right after completing high school, Heichel joined the army. He had a little break between the time following earning his diploma and his eventual leap into basic training. His entry was delayed, so he spent his slightly extended stay at home working as an automotive-service technician in the meantime. The offer to hold on to the job for good was presented to him on numerous occasions due to his honorable work ethic and dedication, but his desires were elsewhere – he wished to serve his country.
Heichel finally entered basic training in the fall of 1989 at Fort McClellan in Alabama. After that, he went out into the world, getting stationed in regions as geographically close to the United States as Central America and continents as far away as Europe. His assignments and journeys weren’t exclusive to places located outside his home country, and eventually he made it back to the Midwest and continued dedicating himself in military-related contexts.
“I went to Panama for a short period of time after basic training. I was with the MPs, or military police. I also spent some time in Germany after that,” he said. “Then I came home to be a deputy sheriff and joined the Wisconsin Guard. 9/11 hit, though, and so I went back into the military. I retired as a lieutenant colonel.”
Serving contributed toward Heichel becoming a strong leader. Particular policies or procedures he didn’t necessarily agree with inspired him to go to Officer Candidate School in 1995. He realized every experience the military had to offer him would not only benefit him in his career but also in life in general. The thing that mattered most to him was leaving things in a more promising state than they were when he initially found them.
“I thought I could make big changes, and I think I did make big changes. In my own little world, I always told myself, whatever you do in this next position or this next job, leave it better than you first found it, no matter what condition it was in,” he said.
Over 30 years of military experience comes with practically countless opportunities. Heichel seized all the ones that came his way. His time in Afghanistan, for instance, offered him the chance to put into action everything he had learned during basic training. The environment there certainly wasn’t replete with endless ease or life-giving prospects. There he had to step into the shoes only the most valiant are bold enough to try on, and now he has stories upon stories to tell.
Heichel’s three-decades-long devotion to the U.S. Military has helped to foster within him a deep sense of camaraderie. During his years of service, he has always stood beside fellow soldiers and countrymen, all of whom have impacted him and he them. He’s even formed personal connections to the men and women he served with. Seeing the excitement following his comrades’ retirements has assisted him in continuing to cherish everything from the challenges and hardships they all once faced to the triumphs and victories they faced and experience even now.
“My time in Afghanistan was very valuable to me. That environment was scary, but I got to do all the things I had been trained to do, which is an opportunity many soldiers don't get,” he said. “Using the skills I picked up there, and even the ones my soldiers used, makes it all well worth it. There were a lot of happy times in the army, but there were challenges too. Now watching people reach the end of their careers is amazing, because I’ve seen how we’ve all achieved success.”
No matter if he runs into them at gas stations or school events, whenever Heichel crosses paths with other veterans, he thanks them for their service. He himself was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a “V” device for his duty, as well as the Order of Saint Maurice, the highest honor one in Infantry can achieve.
When he’s not settling matters regarding labor relations, Heichel spends time with his wife and his three children. He’ll officiate high-school sporting competitions, letting him keep his pulse on the youth of today. His friends join him for rounds of golf on the weekends. His parents – who taught him the merits of working hard – still reside nearby, so he visits with them regularly.
Heichel’s constantly been motivated by an urge to improve the world, regardless of what that might look like. Living in La Porte, though it’s a small community, enables him to stay involved in ways that allow him to advance further in his resolution to leave things big or small in better conditions than he discovered them.
“I want to do my part in the community, to be just like one of those lampposts, turning a light on,” he said. “Helping out can lead to changing the world for the better, which is just what I did while I was in the military, trying to change the world.”