World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseJohn F. "Jack" Heyn was born in Pipestone, Minnesota, United States in 1923. He graduated from Watertown High School, Watertown, South Dakota, United States in May 1941 and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps three months later with interest in its photography school. He received basic training at Jefferson Barracks Military Post in Lemay, Missouri, United States. After basic training, he was assigned to the headquarters of 3rd Bombardment Group (L) at Savannah Army Air Base in Savannah, Georgia, United States, and was told that there might be an opening at the photography school in Jan 1942. At Savannah, he served as a clerk typist. When the United States was attacked by the Japanese, he was visiting his sister and childhood friend in the capital city of Washington DC; he was standing on the steps of the Capitol building when US President Franklin Roosevelt requested the Congress to declare war. After arriving in Australia, he began serving as a photographer, continuing through his unit's moves through Port Moresby, Australian Territory of Papua; Dobodura, Australian Territory of New Guinea; Nadzab, Australian Territory of New Guinea; Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea; and Leyte, Philippine Islands. During the war, he filmed everything from every-day life of enlisted men, to visits by high ranking generals, to the aftermath of the battle for the city of Tacloban. He rotated back to the United States in Mar 1945. After the war, he attended a 6-month course at the Photography School in New York, New York, United States. He and his wife Evelyn "Jonnie" Johnson then took residences in New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Des Moines, Iowa; Denver, Colorado; and back to Des Moines once again. Heyn had a photography business in Des Moines for about 30 years, specializing in weddings and commercial work.

ww2dbaseIn Jan 2014, Heyn offered a number of photographs for use by the World War II Database.

Jack Heyn Interactive Map

Photographs

Photographs Taken by Jack Heyn

Jack Heyn Timeline