Bill Heitzig was born in 1948 and grew up in Jerseyville. After graduating from Illinois College in 1970 with a BA in History, he enlisted in the US Air Force and attended Officer's Training School and served for thirty years as a pilot in 11 different fighter, rotary wing and trainer aircraft. In addition, he served in 37 different countries and was a commander in several different positions including commanding a stateside base. Upon retiring from the Air Force, he worked for practically 10 years as an F-15 and F-22 academic and simulator instructor. He currently teaches military history in