John W. Heavey (February 19, 1867 – November 18, 1941) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

who served as

Chief of the National Guard Bureau The chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB) is the highest-ranking officer of the National Guard and the head of the National Guard Bureau. The position is a statutory office (), held by a federally recognized commissioned officer who has serv ...

Early life

John William Heavey was born in Vandalia, Illinois on February 19, 1867 and graduated from Vandalia High School in 1884. He graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

in 1891, receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant of

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

. Heavey served with the 5th Infantry Regiment in several southern states and New York between 1891 and 1898.George Washington Cullum
''Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy''
Volume 6, Part 1, 1920, pages 590–591 A member of one of West Point's earliest football teams, Heavey was the right

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

on Army's

offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

during the first Army-Navy Game in 1890.West Point Association of Graduates
Biography, John W. Heavey 1891
accessed May 5, 2013

Spanish–American War

In 1898 Heavey joined the 11th Infantry for the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

, serving in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...

, including battles at Hormigueros and Las Marias and assignment as commander of the post at Mayaguez. He remained on duty in Puerto Rico until 1902, when he was assigned to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, including a posting to Camp Jossman and action against the

Moros In Greek mythology, Moros /ˈmɔːrɒs/ or Morus /ˈmɔːrəs/ (Ancient Greek: Μόρος means 'doom, fate') is the 'hateful' personified spirit of impending doom, who drives mortals to their deadly fate. It was also said that Moros gave peop ...

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

and

Jolo Jolo ( tsg, Sūg) is a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines and the primary island of the province of Sulu, on which the capital of the same name is situated. It is located in the Sulu Archipelago, between Borneo and Mindanao, and has ...

Post-Spanish–American War

In 1904 Heavey was assigned to Fort D. A. Russell,

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

. He served there until 1905, when he went to the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

as Professor of Military Science. In 1908 Heavey was assigned to duty in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

with the 11th Infantry, remaining until 1911 when he was promoted to major and carried out assignments at Fort D. A. Russell and

Fort Sam Houston Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas. "Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview), US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army. Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Represen ...

. Heavey graduated from the

United States Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perma ...

in 1912 and the

United States Army War College The United States Army War College (USAWC) is a U.S. Army educational institution in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500-acre (2 km2) campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks. It provides graduate-level instruction to senior military offic ...

in 1913. From 1913 to 1914 Heavey was assigned as

regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...

advisor to the Massachusetts National Guard, and from 1914 to 1916 he was a member of the staff at the

Militia Bureau The National Guard Bureau is the federal instrument responsible for the administration of the National Guard established by the United States Congress as a joint bureau of the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. It was crea ...

. In 1916 Heavey served on the Mexican border with the 9th Infantry during the

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...

. Now a lieutenant colonel, he was then assigned to

Fort Niagara Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built by New France to protect its interests in North America, specifically control of access between the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes. The fort is on the river's e ...

as the commander and senior instructor for the

Officer Training School Officer Training School (OTS) is a United States Air Force and United States Space Force commissioning program located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Overview Officer Training School is a part of the Jeanne M. Holm Center fo ...

World War I

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Heavey received temporary promotions to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

and brigadier general and served as executive officer of the

. From August, 1918 to February, 1919 he served as acting Chief of the Militia Bureau when incumbent

Jesse McI. Carter Jesse McIlvane Carter (April 12, 1863 – June 23, 1930) was a United States Army Major general (United States), Major General who served as Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Chief of the Militia Bureau. Early life Jesse McI. Carter was born ...

was assigned to command the 11th Infantry Division.George Washington Cullum
Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy
Volume 7, 1930, page 323 Heavey’s World War I duties included responsibility for National Guard soldiers assigned to guard utilities and railroads within the United States to protect them from sabotage.

Post World War I

Heavey remained as executive officer of the Militia Bureau until 1922, reverting to the permanent rank of colonel. He was then assigned to the office of the Army Chief of Staff. From 1923 to 1926 he served at Fort Clayton, Panama Canal Zone and successively commanded the 20th and 33rd Infantry Regiments. From 1926 until retiring in 1931 Heavey was an area coordinator for the Bureau of the Budget, assigned to

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Retirement and death

In retirement Heavey resided in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where he died on November 18, 1941. He was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, Section 2, Site 3513.

Family

In 1894, Heavey married Julia Baggett (1871–1906). They had three sons: William Francis Heavey (West Point, 1917), Thomas Jackson Heavey (West Point, 1917, second class), and Wade Hampton Heavey (West Point, 1923). In 1915, Heavey married Katherine Theresa Sullivan (1868–1943). William F. Heavey (1896–1974) retired as a

and was the author of 1947’s ''Down Ramp! The Story of the Army Amphibian Engineers''. Thomas J. Heavey (1897–1951) served in the China Burma India Theater during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and retired as a colonel. Wade H. Heavey (1902–1961) was Assistant Comptroller of the Army and retired as a colonel.Army and Navy Journal Incorporated
''Army, Navy, Air Force Journal''
Volume 98, Issues 27-52, 1961, page 1006

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heavey, John W. 1867 births 1941 deaths United States Army Infantry Branch personnel People from Vandalia, Illinois Military personnel from Washington, D.C. United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel from Illinois United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni United States Army War College alumni American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Army generals of World War I Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Chiefs of the National Guard Bureau United States Army generals