In addition to taking on the challenging duty of serving as the current Leisure Hour Club president, author, humorist and former business owner Lee Heidenfeldt holds a remarkable story of military survival: he was held as a prisoner of war for a day and a half after his helicopter was shot down during the Vietnam War.
As part of the club’s tribute to its veteran members, Heidenfeldt will share his experience at the club’s monthly dinner meeting on Thursday, Nov. 19.
If you look closely, you will notice that Heidenfeldt is missing the tip of his left index finger. In 1967, as a helicopter passenger on an assignment, he was sitting on his helmet to protect himself from incoming gunfire when his copter was struck. Knocked unconscious by the crash impact, Heidenfeldt was the sole survivor among the four crew members.
Upon his capture, North Vietnamese soldiers interrogated him about the seismographs his team had been deploying. In a clever attempt to render the technology useless, Heidenfeldt told his captors the devices were fishing gear, hoping they would submerge the equipment underwater. The intense ordeal that followed will be a central part of Heidenfeldt’s presentation to club members. He will also share some of his wife’s experiences as a member of the military.
The Leisure Hour Club dinner meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 19. Reservations are required by 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 5. To reserve a spot, please email lhcreservations@gmail.com. New members are welcome to join the club. Annual membership dues are $25.
Established in 1896, the Leisure Hour Club is Carson City’s oldest continuous social organization. Dedicated to promoting knowledge in science, music, literature, and current issues, the club operates under the motto, “Let knowledge grow from more and more,” inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, In Memoriam.
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