{{Short description|United States Army officer (1916–2001)}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox military person |name= Frederick Heyliger |image= Frederick T Heyliger 506e.jpg |image_size= |alt= |caption= |nickname= Moose |birth_date= {{birth date|1916|06|23}} |birth_place= Acton, Massachusetts, US |death_date= {{death date and age|2001|11|03|1916|06|23|mf=yes}} |death_place= Concord, Massachusetts, US |burial_place= Sleepy Hollow Cemetery |allegiance= United States |branch= United States Army |service_years= 1940–1947 |rank= Captain |service_number= |unit= E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division |commands= |battles= World War II * Battle of Normandy * Operation Market Garden |awards= Military Cross (United Kingdom) |spouse= Mary, Evelyn |relations= |other_work= }} '''Frederick Theodore "Moose" Heyliger''' (23 June 1916 – 3 November 2001)<ref name=SSDI>"United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JYK3-9J9 : 20 May 2014), Frederick T Heyliger, 03 Nov 2001; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).</ref> was an American military officer who served with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. He took part in D-Day and Operation Market Garden, before being discharged due to injury sustained from friendly fire.
In the HBO miniseries ''Band of Brothers'', Heyliger was portrayed by Scottish actor Stephen McCole.
==Early life== Heyliger was born in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.<ref name=SSDI /> Heyliger worked as a farm hand throughout his youth and graduated from the Lawrence Academy at Groton in 1937.<ref name="Journal">[http://www.lacademy.edu/uploaded/Development_Files/Publications/Fall_2014_Academy_Journal/Academy_Journal_2014.pdf "The Academy Journal", Fall 2014, p. 35. Retrieved 2014-10-30]</ref> Heyliger completed three years of college.<ref name="NARA">[https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=2&tf=F&q=frederick+heyliger&bc=&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=377700&rlst=377700,2216144 WWII Army Enlistment Records: on-line NARA Archival Database]</ref>
==Military service== Heyliger was assigned to the 506th's Easy Company before the paratrooper division left the United States; he was later assigned as mortar platoon leader for 2nd Battalion's Headquarters Company.<ref name=Ambrose>{{cite book|title=Band of Brothers: Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest|first=Stephen E.|last=Ambrose|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=1992|isbn=978-0-7434-6411-6|url=https://archive.org/details/bandofbrothers00ambr_0}}</ref>{{rp|160}} After Richard Winters was assigned as executive officer of 2nd Battalion, First Lieutenant Heyliger took command of Easy Company from Winters' first replacement.<ref name=Ambrose />{{rp|156–157, 160}}
Heyliger commanded Easy Company during Operation Pegasus on October 23, 1944. After the failure of Operation Market Garden, he oversaw the rescue and evacuation of 138 British 1st Airborne Division troops stranded in German-held territory, for which he received the British Military Cross.<ref>{{cite book|title=Easy Company Soldier: The Legendary Battles of a Sergeant from World War II's "Band of Brothers"|last1=Malarkey|first1=Donald G.|first2=Bob|last2=Welch|publisher=St. Martin's Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-312-37849-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/easycompanysoldi00mala/page/137 137]|url=https://archive.org/details/easycompanysoldi00mala/page/137}}</ref><ref name="Ambrose" />{{rp|160–162}}
On October 31, 1944, he was accidentally shot by one of his own men while on patrol and talking with Richard Winters about commanding Easy Company.<ref name="Ambrose" />{{rp|164–165}} He underwent skin and nerve grafts before being discharged in February 1947.<ref name="Ambrose" />{{rp|305}}
==Later years and death== After Heyliger returned home to Massachusetts, he enrolled at the University of Massachusetts and graduated in 1950 with a degree in ornamental horticulture.<ref name=Ambrose />{{rp|305}} Heyliger died at the age of 85 on November 3, 2001,<ref name=SSDI /> one day before the 10th and final episode of ''Band of Brothers'' ("Points") premiered on HBO. He is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts.<ref>[https://file1.largepdf.com/file/2020/04/17/A_Company_of_Heroes__Personal_Memories_abo_-_Brotherton_Marcus.pdf ''A Company of Heroes'', p. 208]{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Portal|Biography}}
{{Band of Brothers (miniseries)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heyliger, Frederick}} Category:1916 births Category:2001 deaths Category:United States Army personnel of World War II Category:Band of Brothers characters Category:Burials at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (Concord, Massachusetts) Category:Operation Pegasus Category:Recipients of the Military Cross Category:United States Army officers Category:Military personnel from Concord, Massachusetts Category:University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni