Walter Heiman
Encyclopedia
Walter J. Heiman was a Jewish American
man who at the time of his death had become one of the last surviving veterans of the First World War
. Born and raised in Germany
, he enlisted as a private in the German Air Force in March 1918, at 17 years of age, after finishing high school. He was sent to an air base in Hanover
for flight training, but the war ended before he finished training. He talked vividly about the situation by explaining that the German Revolution
broke out on November 9, 1918, which caused Kaiser Wilhelm II
to abdicate and flee the country, and since at that point in time each soldier made his own decision about his immediate future, Walter decided to go home to Essen. After the Armistice
, the city of Essen was occupied by the French Army
. Walter's older brother Kurt had also served in the German Army
earlier in the war and was wounded in 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. Kurt never fully recovered from his wounds that he suffered in the battle and died in 1920.
After the war he returned to Essen and went to work as an apprentice in the grain distribution business, which later led to him starting his own grain business in 1926. He was unable to pursue a college education because of Germany's discrimination laws on Jewish families that wouldn't allow more than one Jewish sibling to attend college, and since his older brother Kurt was already in college this prevented Walter from enrolling. He married Trude Weyl on the last day of 1935, and they had two children together.
After the Nazis took power in Germany in the 1930s, the hardships became much worse as Jewish assets were seized, and so Walter fled Germany to the United States
in 1938 with his pregnant wife and only $25. His older sister Lily, parents and in-laws all died in the Holocaust
. After arriving in the United States, he and Trude initially stayed with relatives in Chicago, while he learned the English language
in night school and from listening to the radio. They lived in Chicago until 1941 with very little means. Eventually, he became an United States citizen in 1945.
In 1941, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Walter opened a business selling Belgian
light bulbs for a Western Extralite branch. He kept the business as it grew over time, even after his retirement in 1989, at which time he still remained chairman of the board, but then eventually sold the company in 1999 to the family of his original business partner in 1941.
In the 1950s, they moved to Olivette, Missouri
, where he and Trude continued raising their two children.
Walter was active in sports like tennis, soccer, snow skiing and swimming. In fact, he was still a swimmer until the age of 103.
Heiman had once dined with Leah Rabin, the wife of Israel
's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
. They had been at one of Israel's Children's Centers, which are built by a program that Mr. Heiman supported. These centers are built for Israel's immigrant and underprivileged children, and they have both learning centers and tennis courts.
After his wife's death in 1994, he moved to an elderly complex in University City, where he resided until his own death at the age of 106.
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
man who at the time of his death had become one of the last surviving veterans of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Born and raised in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he enlisted as a private in the German Air Force in March 1918, at 17 years of age, after finishing high school. He was sent to an air base in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
for flight training, but the war ended before he finished training. He talked vividly about the situation by explaining that the German Revolution
German Revolution
The German Revolution was the politically-driven civil conflict in Germany at the end of World War I, which resulted in the replacement of Germany's imperial government with a republic...
broke out on November 9, 1918, which caused Kaiser Wilhelm II
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
to abdicate and flee the country, and since at that point in time each soldier made his own decision about his immediate future, Walter decided to go home to Essen. After the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
, the city of Essen was occupied by the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
. Walter's older brother Kurt had also served in the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
earlier in the war and was wounded in 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. Kurt never fully recovered from his wounds that he suffered in the battle and died in 1920.
After the war he returned to Essen and went to work as an apprentice in the grain distribution business, which later led to him starting his own grain business in 1926. He was unable to pursue a college education because of Germany's discrimination laws on Jewish families that wouldn't allow more than one Jewish sibling to attend college, and since his older brother Kurt was already in college this prevented Walter from enrolling. He married Trude Weyl on the last day of 1935, and they had two children together.
After the Nazis took power in Germany in the 1930s, the hardships became much worse as Jewish assets were seized, and so Walter fled Germany to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1938 with his pregnant wife and only $25. His older sister Lily, parents and in-laws all died in the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. After arriving in the United States, he and Trude initially stayed with relatives in Chicago, while he learned the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in night school and from listening to the radio. They lived in Chicago until 1941 with very little means. Eventually, he became an United States citizen in 1945.
In 1941, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Walter opened a business selling Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
light bulbs for a Western Extralite branch. He kept the business as it grew over time, even after his retirement in 1989, at which time he still remained chairman of the board, but then eventually sold the company in 1999 to the family of his original business partner in 1941.
In the 1950s, they moved to Olivette, Missouri
Olivette
Olivette may refer to:*Olivette, Missouri*Olivette *Olivette , another name for the French wine grape Poulsard...
, where he and Trude continued raising their two children.
Walter was active in sports like tennis, soccer, snow skiing and swimming. In fact, he was still a swimmer until the age of 103.
Heiman had once dined with Leah Rabin, the wife of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
. They had been at one of Israel's Children's Centers, which are built by a program that Mr. Heiman supported. These centers are built for Israel's immigrant and underprivileged children, and they have both learning centers and tennis courts.
After his wife's death in 1994, he moved to an elderly complex in University City, where he resided until his own death at the age of 106.