What a lot of folks don't know, and Mr. Albert did not talk about until a few years ago, is that he was a genuine war hero during the WWII battle for Tarawa in 1943. He probably didn't have to go due to his age, but he saw his duty and did it. From a "Green Acres" site:
The outbreak of World War II sent Albert into the U.S. Navy as a junior officer, and he distinguished himself during 1943 in the fighting on Tarawa. Assigned as the salvage officer in the shore party of the second landing wave (which engaged in heavy fighting with the Japanese), his job was to examine military equipment abandoned on the battlefield to see if it should be retrieved; but what he found were wounded men who had been left behind under heavy fire. Albert took them off the beach in a small launch not designed for that task, earning commendations for his bravery. A bona fide hero, he was sent home to support a War Bond drive (though he never traded on his war experiences, and didn't discussing them in detail on-camera until the 1990s).
He was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts.
Please remember Edward Albert Heimberger and the 1000 other WWII vets who pass away every day as you enjoy the Memorial Day holiday.
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