US Military Build-up Impacts Larchmont:
Firefighter Rich Heine Leaving for Active Duty
by Judy Silberstein
 (
January 28, 2003
) In Larchmont, he’s known as Lieutenant Rich Heine of the Village of
Larchmont
Fire Department. But in a few weeks he’ll be shipping out as a Navy Hospital
Corpsman
Second Class attached to the Marines. He’ll go first to Camp Lejeune, North
Carolina for training and then on to assignment. His destination is yet unknown,
but given
the current situation, a Middle East location is a high probability.
This is not the first military stint for Heine. He
served as a radioman in the Navy from 1985 to 1989
and got to see a good part of the world including the
Louvre in Paris, the Pyramids in Egypt and a Christmas
Eve Mass at St. Peters. He was “all over Europe
and into Africa and the Middle East.” In 1997
he joined the Navy Reserves and again got to see parts
of the United States and the world he might never have
had the opportunity to visit: Texas, Alaska, Nicaragua
and El Salvador.
If his mission takes him to the Middle East, it won’t
be the first time for Heine. In the summer of 1988
he was in the Persian Gulf for Operation Earnest Will
where his unit was escorting tankers. “The water
temperature was 94 degrees – that will give you
a sense of the air temperature,” he laughed.
His Navy experiences have taken Rich far from Larchmont
and Wendt Avenue where he grew up attending Chatsworth
Avenue Elementary School and graduating from Mamaroneck
High School with the class of ’83. He is one
of six children, with some of his siblings still in
the area. His sister Marian has been helping him get
his financial affairs in order and will be taking care
of his cat while he’s away.
Over at the Fire Department, his colleagues
will be helping take care of his position while he’s
away. Since December of 1989, Heine has been a career
firefighter with the Village of Larchmont, and has
been promoted to Lieutenant. As part of the civil service,
his job is protected while he is with the
Reserves. The other firefighters will be pitching in
to cover
his duties, reported Captain Tom Andersen.
“We’re worried and hope that he comes
home safe and soon,” said Andersen. It’s
a small, tight-knit “family”in the Fire
Department; Heine is godfather to Andersen’s
son and both men grew up on Wendt Avenue.
Rich, family and friends were enjoying a pre-military
celebration at “The Office,” as the firefighters
refer to Carlyn’s Cove, the cozy establishment
across the Boston Post Road from the Fire Department.
A large American flag was draped behind the dessert,
as a reminder of Rich’s mission.
Heine admits to “A little apprehension,” and
added, “But this is something, in my opinion,
that needs to be done, protecting the United States.”
“You’d be hard pressed to find anyone
in the military who wants to go to war,” he clarified.
“I feel very positive about my decision to join
the reserves. I knew the possibility existed of being
called up. I knew with the smaller active duty military,
they would rely on the reserves more.”
He doesn’t know if he’ll be able to correspond
while he’s away. During Desert Storm there were
stations for phoning and e-mailing home. He’s
bringing an old laptop, just in case. He’s also
taking the good thoughts and prayers of his family,
friends and colleagues. “ They’re all being
very supportive and wishing me well,” he concluded.
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