Major General Charles Kenneth Heiden

Major General (Retired) Charles Kenneth Heiden

LOUISVILLE - Major General (Retired) Charles Kenneth Heiden , Class-1949 Cullum No. 16831. Born in Detroit, Michigan to Carl William and Elsie Mae Heiden. Chuck was a product of the Detroit Public School System graduating from Edwin Denby High School in 1942 at age 16. He attended college at night at Lawrence Institute of Technology for a year while working as a draftsman for the Fruehauf Trailer Company during the day. In 1943 at the age of 17, Chuck enlisted in the US Army; two years later he was selected from the enlisted ranks to attend the Army West Point Preparatory Program at Amherst College and won a competitive Army appointment to USMA. West Point provided a challenge to which Chuck responded showing improvement in his class standing each year and graduating well up in class rank.

Chuck and Nancy Earle Gray, having received special permission from HQ, DA, were married on graduation day in the Chaplains=Office in the 19th Division of Cadet Barracks. After completing Armor branch schooling, Chuck was assigned to the 45th Calvary Squadron in the Panama Canal Zone. Following the overseas tour Chuck returned to Ft. Knox as an instructor and was subsequently sent to the University of Michigan to earn a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1957. This provided to be a key to his career assignments from this point forward.

Until he became a senior colonel his assignments were alternated between troop units and various armor equipment research and development staff positions. He served in troop assignments from platoon leader to brigade commander, including cavalry squadron command in the highlands of Vietnam. His research and development assignments included staff positions at Hq, CONARC and Hq, DA. While in command of the US Army Armor Combat Development Agency, at Fort Knox in 1972, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Army's Main Battle Tank Task Force. Chuck was charged with the day-to-day management of the task force which developed the requirements, funding and program which resulted in the development of the Abrams Main Battle Tank.

Following the approval of the Abrams tank program, Chuck spent the next eight years in D.C. area with all but one of those years being in military personnel assignments. Upon his selection to general officer, he spent one year on the Joint Staff followed by six years in Military Personnel Command, first , as the Director of Enlisted Personnel and, then, as the Commander, US Army Milpercen. His final assignment, prior to retirement as Commanding General, US Army Training Center & Fort Dix. The day after being placed on the retirement rolls Chuck became the President and Director of Montel Metals Inc., a railroad materials supplier. He also was appointed to the Board of Directors of Cedar Lake Lodge Inc., a residential facility for mentally retarded/developmentally disabled persons. He resigned the position at Montel after two years but became Chairman, Cedar Lake Lodge Inc. for the next sixteen years. He concurrently did consulting in computer simulation for BBN Inc, BDM Inc., Illusion Engineering Inc. and several other corporations working on training simulations that are still used today. His charitable work continued for years into another retirement.

He loved his family and took great care of them. His research into family history answered the question of where we came from, so the future generations would know and appreciate their heritage. After a long time as father, grandfather and great grandfather, he passed away peacefully on August 7, 2020 to join his wife Nancy in heaven. He is survived by his son, Charles and his daughter in law, Tina, grandchildren, Allison (Andrew Reed) and Shelby and great granddaughter, Harper.

Visitation will be Wednesday, August 12th from 3-6pm with his funeral service at 6pm at Highlands Family Owned Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Rd. Burial will follow the next day on Thursday at 10am at KY Veterans Cemetery Central in Radcliff, KY with Military Honors.