Heidkamp, Richard A. (P2, C2, L28)

Technical Sergeant 5 Richard Anthony Heidkamp was born 12 March 1922, at Covington, Boone County, Kentucky. He enlisted in the Kentucky National Guard at Covington, on 10 February 1941, with Battery C, 103rd Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft). He was inducted into federal service 10 February 1941, with his unit. Heidkamp died of wounds sustained in combat on 25 June 1944. He is buried in the Florence, Kentucky, Cemetery. Heidkamp listed his civilian occupation at enlistment as apprentice carpenter. He was the son of Lillian Osborn Florence and step-father Jefferson L. Osborn of Florence.

Other casualties of the 103rd Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion  (Automatic Weapons) (Mobile) during World War II were: MAJ Mortimer M. Benton; CPL Opal E. Cornn; PVT Buster Criswell; 1LT Hal T. Hackney; 1LT Thomas L. Hehman; 1LT Jeff Johnson, Jr.; PFC Kenneth Walsh and  T/5 Owen W. Whitaker.

The reorganization of the United States Army shortly before World War converted Kentucky's 123rd Cavalry on November 1, 1940, as the 103rd Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) Separate Battalion and the 106th Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) Separate Battalion.

The 103rd Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) Separate Battalion the battalion began training at Fort Sheridan, Lake County, Illinois on March 4, 1942. On April 30, the 103rd left New York, arriving in Northern Ireland on May 15.  The unit was transferred to North Africa, arriving December 8.  On July 2, 1943, the 103rd left North Africa and went to Sicily.  The battalion participated in the Operation HUSKY, the Sicily Campaign from July 9 to August 17, 1943.  Departing Sicily on November 17, the 103rd arrived in Scotland on December 9 1943.  On September 29 1944, it was stationed at Belgium, remaining there until October 22.  From October 1944 to April 28, 1945, the 103rd was in Germany.  Between April 28 and May 6, the 103rd was in Czechoslovakia.  The 103rd arrived at New York November 30.  On December 1, 1945, the 103rd Antiaircraft Artillery Amphibious Automatic Weapons Battalion (Mobile) was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. Redesignated May 13, 1946 as the 441st Field Artillery Battalion, Kentucky National Guard with Headquarters at Lexington, Kentucky.  Currently the lineage and honors of the 103rd is carried by the 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery , with Headquarters at Lexington.

T/5 Richard A. Heidkamp
The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) · 10 Feb 1948, Tue · Page 14
The body of T/5 Richard A. Heidkamp, who was killed June 25, 1944, in the invasion of Normandy, will arrive tomorrow morning in Northern Kentucky.
Technician Heidkamp was 22 years old at the time of his death. He was attached to the 103rd Artillery Division. He enlisted in the Army in February, 1941, when he was a resident of Florence. His mother, Mrs. Lloyd Osborn, now lives in Plant City, Fla.
Services will be held at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the Stith funeral home, Florence. There will be a military ceremony at the grave in Florence Cemetery under the auspices of Boone Post No. 4 of the American Legion. Friends may call at the funeral home from noon tomorrow until the time of the services.