Marine Corp. Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck: After Dying in WWII, He's Finally Home

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Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck. 1918 - 1943.

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Blog Created: 1-7-2025

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Marine killed in WWII accounted for after sending ominous letter home ~

Stephen Smith: Updated Sat, January 4, 2025 at 9:27 PM EST·2 min read

A U.S. Marine who sent an ominous letter home before he went missing in action during World War II has been accounted for over eight decades after he was killed in the Pacific, the Defense Department announced Thursday.

In November 1943, Marine Corps Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck, 25, of Chicago, was part of a force that tried to secure the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Japanese-held Gilbert Islands, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. During several days of intense fighting, Japanese forces were decimated, and about 1,000 U.S. Marines and sailors were killed. Van Heck died on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943.

According to a newspaper clipping shared by U.S. officials, Van Heck had sent a letter to his family warning that he would not be returning home. The young Marine had written: "Don't count on me coming home this spring as we had planned."

The message — and its timing — proved prophetic.

According to the newspaper article, about a half an hour after reading the letter, the family received a telegram announcing "the death of Sgt. Robert Van Heck who was killed in action."

Years after Van Heck's death, the remains of all U.S. soldiers found on Tarawa were sent to Hawaii for analysis. Remains that could not be identified, including Van Heck's, were buried as "unknowns" at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.

In 2017, one set of remains — labeled as Tarawa UnknownX-265 — was disinterred for analysis. Scientists were finally able to identify Van Heck's remains through anthropological analysis and mitochondrial DNA. Van Heck was officially accounted for on April 13, 2023, and his family was recently briefed on his identification, the DPAA said.

Van Heck will be buried Jan. 7, 2025, in Hillside, Illinois. According to a separate newspaper clipping shared by the DPAA, Van Heck was awarded several military medals, including a Purple Heart.

According to the DPAA, the remains of nearly 1,700 previously unidentified U.S. soldiers killed in World War II have been identified, but over 70,000 remain unaccounted for.

Of the roughly 1,000 U.S. service members killed during the Battle of Tarawa, about 350 remain unaccounted for. The DPAA says that over the decades, storms and construction projects on the island have uncovered isolated remains associated with Americans killed during the Battle of Tarawa. Those remains were turned over to the U.S. Government.

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Sergeant Van Heck served as an amphibian tractor crewman during the assault on Betio, Tarawa atoll. His vehicle was an LVT-1 model christened “Wabbit Twacks” – and painted with the hull number “13 1/2” to ward off bad luck. The “Wabbit Twacks” crew included Sergeant Calvin Hackler and Corporal Claire E. Goldtrap.

On 20 November 1943, “Wabbit Twacks” carried a squad from I/3/2nd Marines from the USS Middleton to land on Beach Red 1. As they approached, the Japanese opened fire on the LVT. As Goldtrap drove “Wabbit Twacks” up onto the beach, Van Heck and Hackler helped toss combat gear over the sides and manned the machine guns mounted on the cab to give Item Company some covering fire. As Goldtrap began to reverse off the beach, a shell exploded right in front of his cab. He stopped just as another shell burst to the rear. Van Heck yelled “Goldy, they have us in a bracket! Let’s get out of here!”

All three Marines were sheltering in the cab when a third shell scored a direct hit. Goldtrap and Van Heck took the full force of the explosion and were instantly killed. Hackler, badly wounded, managed to escape wreckage of “Wabbit Twacks” and survived the battle.

Wreck of Robert's "Wabbit Twacks" on Beach Red One after the battle

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Burial Information or Disposition ~

After the battle, none of the recovered remains could be identified as Sergeant Van Heck, and no burial information was recorded. A memorial marker was erected in Cemetery 11, Grave 3, Row 3, Plot 3.

Naval officers visit 'beautified' Cemetery 11 in 1944. Van Heck's memorial grave is visible in the second row.

Close-up showing Robert's original grave.

In fact, the memorial was not far from Van Heck’s actual burial place. In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company exhumed a mass grave at the site of Cemetery 11. Few remains could be identified at the time, and all were reburied in Lone Palm Cemetery. Among them was a mostly complete skeleton designated “X-265.” Laboratory analysis in Hawaii the following year also failed to establish an identity, and X-265 was interred as an unknown in Plot E, Grave 855 of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

In 2017, X-265 was exhumed once again and sent for additional testing. Using mtDNA analysis, the remains were matched to a relative of Robert Van Heck. He was officially accounted for on 13 April 2023.

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Press Release | Jan. 2, 2025 ~

Marine Accounted For From World War II (Van Heck, R.)

WASHINGTON –

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that Marine Corps Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck, 25, of Chicago, IL, killed during World War II, was accounted for on April 13, 2023.

Van Heck’s family recently received their full briefing on his identification, therefore, additional details on his identification can be shared.

In November 1943, Van Heck was a member of Company A, 2nd Amphibious Tractor Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, while the Japanese forces were virtually annihilated. Van Heck died on the first day of battle, Nov. 20. A memorial marker for Van Heck was placed in Cemetery 11.

In 1946, the 604th Quartermaster Graves Registration Company centralized all of the American remains found on Tarawa at Lone Palm Cemetery for later repatriation. Almost half of the known casualties were never found. The remains that were recovered were sent to Hawaii for analysis. Those that could not be identified or associated with one of the missing were buried as Unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu, including one set designated Tarawa Unknown X-265.

In 2017, DPAA disinterred Tarawa Unknown X-265 from the Punchbowl as part of an effort to identify the Tarawa Unknowns buried there.

To identify Van Heck’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis.

Van Heck’s name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific along with the others still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Van Heck will be buried Jan. 7, 2025, in Hillside, Illinois.

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The Journey of Marine Corps Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck: From WWII Battle to Final Resting Place ~

The long-lost story of Marine Corps Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck finds its resolution after eight decades of uncertainty.

The Battle for Betio: A Brief Context ~

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck was among the many brave soldiers who fought in the Battle of Tarawa, a pivotal yet devastating combat during World War II. Initiated in the Tarawa Atoll’s Betio Island in November 1943, this battle saw U.S. forces clashing fiercely with well-entrenched Japanese defenders. Van Heck and other Marines aimed to secure this strategic point. The assault resulted in approximately 1,000 American deaths, including Van Heck, signifying the hefty price of victory.

Van Heck’s connection to the battle is both tragically heroic and poignant. On the battle’s first day, he paid the ultimate sacrifice. He wrote in a foreboding letter to his family, “Don’t count on me coming home this spring as we had planned.” His words predicted the tragic fate that awaited him on that fateful day.

From Missing to Found: The Recovery Process ~

In the years following the Battle of Tarawa, its fallen heroes, including Van Heck, remained unidentified in Hawaii. Buried at the Pacific National Memorial Cemetery, these remains were unrecognized for decades. The advent of modern science brought change. In 2017, advanced DNA technology enabled the identification of Van Heck’s remains, previously labeled as Tarawa Unknown X-265. His remains were finally accounted for on April 13, 2023, providing a familial closure.

“The investment of 10 years of work and $6.5 million has resulted in the recovery of extremely significant, but not yet to be disclosed, number of missing American service personnel.” – Mark Noah.

The commendable efforts of organizations like History Flight, which has been working on Tarawa since 2007, significantly contributed to these discoveries. Employing diverse methods, including forensic anthropology and DNA analysis, they recovered several American service members’ remains hidden under the sands of war-torn Betio.

As Sgt. Van Heck’s remains journey back to Illinois, his family prepares for a momentous occasion. Van Heck will be laid to rest with full military honors, including the awarding of the Purple Heart. Although bittersweet, it shall be a recognition of his bravery and sacrifice. The family’s emotional journey is a testament to our enduring respect and gratitude for our heroes, ensuring they are never forgotten, even generations later.

“Don’t count on me coming home this spring as we had planned.” Marine Corps Sgt. Robert F. Van Heck.

While many U.S. soldiers from World War II have been identified, over 70,000 remain unaccounted for. Initiatives continue to honor their memory and service, reflecting our commitment to bring every hero home. The tale of Robert F. Van Heck stands as a shining example of this mission, showcasing the resilience of his family and the determination of those working to resolve such stories.