Gustave Marinius Heiss (November 4, 1904 – June 7, 1982) was a United States

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...

champion and winner of a bronze medal in team épée fencing at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

in Los Angeles. He also competed at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

in Berlin, where the American team placed fifth. He was a four-time U.S. National Épée Champion (1933, 1934, 1936, and 1941).

Fencing career

Heiss was born in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

. After briefly attending

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

, he entered the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point. Heiss competed in épée, individually and on a team, and won the following titles: 1931 IFA Individual Épée Champion (USMA)
1932 Outdoor U.S. National Épée Champion
1932 U.S. National Épée Team Champion (NYFC)
1933 U.S. National Épée Team Champion (NYFC)
1933 U.S. National Épée Champion
1934 U.S. National Épée Team Champion (NYFC)
1934 U.S. National Épée Champion
1935 U.S. National Épée Team Champion (NYFC)
1936 U.S. National Épée Team Champion (NYFC)
1936 U.S. National Épée Champion
1939 U.S. National Épée Team Champion (NYFC)
1940 Outdoor U.S. National Épée Champion
1941 U.S. National Épée Team Champion (NYFC)
1941 U.S. National Épée Champion 1932 U.S. Olympic Team, Men's Épée - Bronze medal
1936 U.S. Olympic Team, Men's Épée - 5th place

Army career

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Heiss was severely wounded while commanding a battalion in the 87th Infantry Division at the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

(December 1944). He received the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

, the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

, and the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

Post World War II career

After World War II, Heiss lived in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

. From 1947 to 1955 he worked as chief of vocational rehabilitation and education at the

Veterans Administration The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers and ...

.Obituary in ''Washington Post'', June 11, 1982. He then worked at the

National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collecti ...

from 1955 to 1958. Marriages to Virginia Jones Heiss and Hertha Wegener Heiss ended in divorce. He had one son from his first marriage and two daughters from his second. Heiss was elected to the U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame. He was buried at West Point.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Heiss, Gustave 1904 births 1982 deaths American male épée fencers Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in fencing Fencers at the 1932 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1936 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics Tulane University alumni United States Military Academy alumni Recipients of the Silver Star Sportspeople from Meridian, Mississippi Sportspeople from New York (state) Sportspeople from Virginia