Dr. BRUCE HEILMAN
Chancellor of the University of Richmond
World War II Veteran

WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 24
  

"WHY THEY NEVER TALK ABOUT IT"

Dr. Bruce Heilman, Chancellor of the University of Richmond, World War II combat veteran and survivor, great grandfather, book author, and perhaps the most well-traveled 90+ year old Harley rider in the world will speak at our October Encorepreneur breakfast. He will tell us about his experiences as a survivor of the war, and about the reluctance of others to tell their own story.

After a trip to the South Pacific to commemorate the sacrifice of both the Japanese and American soldiers who did not survive the war, he said “I could not help but think of all the young men who had died there, who never had a chance to get married, have children or live a life. I left in tears.”

In his four years in the Marine Corps, and before he reached his 22nd birthday,

Bruce Heilman survived a submarine attack on his way to the South Pacific, suicide bombing raids on the fleet in Okinawa, an airplane crash on Iwo Jima, and the still hot radiation from the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima to end the war.

As a survivor, he recognized the guilt that many veterans feel from having survived when so many of their friends did not, and he set out on his Harley to help veterans tell the story of the “Greatest Generation” across the US. Since his 84th birthday he has traveled 60,000 miles and visited all 50 states on his bike including a 7,000-mile cross-country ride in remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  

Since then, he has become the national spokesperson for the "Keep the Spirit of ‘45 Alive Campaign" which works to share the message of the bravery and sacrifices of the members of the Marine Corps and other services who served in World War II. He is a founding member of the National Museum of the Marine Corps, an emeritus board member and former chairman of the Board of Marine Military Academy in Texas, member of the Board of Visitors and past chairman of the Board of the Marine Corps University at Quantico, secretary of the Board of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation and member of the Marines’ Memorial Association. He has also served on the Advisory Review Board of the Service Academies, the board of directors of the National Defense University Foundation Inc. and a member of the board of directors of the Virginia War Memorial Educational Foundation.

His autobiography “An Interruption That Lasted a Lifetime: My First Eighty Years” was published in September 2008.

Grand Marshal Dr. Heilman leads WWII section of National Memorial
Day Parade up Constitution Avenue in 2015.

After the Corps, Dr. Heilman used the G.I. bill to get his bachelor’s degree and continued to earn a master’s degree and then a Ph.D; all from Peabody College, a part of Vanderbilt University. He served as president of Meredith College from 1966 to 1971 and served as president of the University of Richmond in 1971 until 1986. During his tenure, he was instrumental in receiving the largest contribution to the school in its history, a $50 million gift from Claiborne Robins. He is currently the Chancellor of the University.

OUR HOST