Heimberger, Edward Albert, LT

Actor. Born Edward Albert Heimberger, he is best remembered for his role of lawyer-turned-farmer ‘Oliver Wendell Douglas' on the classic television comedy series "Green Acres". His career began on radio, and appeared on the earliest test for television in 1936. He made his motion picture debut in the military academy comedy "Brother Rat" in 1938, and went on to co-star in "Brother Rat and a Baby" and "Four Wives" in 1939. Enlisting in the United States Navy during World War II, he was an active participant in the Battle of Tarawa in November, 1943, one of most savage battles in the Pacific Theatre. He is credited with braving enemy fire during 26 rescue missions saving wounded United States Marines, and was awarded the Bronze Star with a combat ‘V.' After his discharge from the service he married actress Margo in December 1945, with whom he had two children (one being actor Edward Albert Jr.). In the 1950s his motion picture career revived with successful roles in films such as "Carrie" (1952), "Oklahoma!" (1955), "Teahouse of the August Moon" (1956), "Attack!" (1956) and "The Sun Also Rises" (1957), and h received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in William Wyler's "Roman Holiday" in 1953. In the 1960s he appeared in the films "The Longest Day (1962) and "Captain Newman, M.D." (1963) before landing "Green Acres" role that he would come to most associated with. Co-starring with Eva Gabor, the series ran from 1965 until 1971. After it ended, Eddie Albert returned to the screen, garnering a second Academy Award nomination for best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1972 film "The Heartbreak Kid", and enjoying success in motion pictures such as "The Longest Yard" (1974) and "Escape to Witch Mountain" (1975). He retired from show business in the mid 1990s. (bio by: The Perplexed Historian) 

Source: Findagrave

Albert (Heimberger) was the Salvage Officer on Sheridan. His job was to survey damaged equipment on the beach to determine what could be salvaged, repaired and reused. However, like most officers, he had other duties.. He, in a small boat (not a landing craft), was assisting the Boat Control Officer, Lt. Jack Fletcher, in overseeing the boats that were to land the 1 Battalion, 8th Marines on Red Two. After receiving the signal for 1/8 Marines to land, they organized the boats into waves and led them across the line of departure. They then turned to return to the ship. Meanwhile, the boats carrying 1/8 became hung up on the reef (the neap tide was even lower than the prior day), and came under heavy fire. Noticing this, Fletcher and Albert immediately came around and began to take aboard wounded Marines, carried them back to the ship, from which they were transferred to larger units for treatment. Albert's small boat was damaged, so he commandeered a Higgins boat, and made, along with Fletcher, at least two more round trips to the reef to rescue the wounded, all the while being under the same heavy fire barrage as the Marines they were rescuing. In all, the two were credited with rescuing 150 Marines that day, Albert with 70. 

The following is Lt.(j.g.) Heimberger's portion of the Tarawa Action Report:

U.S.S. SHERIDAN
29 November 1943.
Activity of Salvage Boat No. 13.

Boat No. 13, Salvage, went into the water at dawn on D-Day, and worked as assistant control boat to the Boat Group Commander (Lieutenant FLETCHER), until mid-afternoon at which time orders were received to report to the U.S.S. PURSUIT in company with the rest of the boats from the U.S.S. SHERIDAN. She continued assistant control boat work under Lieutenant FLETCHER in the vicinity of the PURSUIT until dawn the following morning (D plus 1 day) at which time orders were received to land the waves on Beach Red 2. Two disabled LCVPs claimed her attention and she arrived at the Line of Departure reporting to Lieutenant FLETCHER as the LCVPs were returning.

The troops had suffered many casualties on landing and the beach was covered with dead and wounded. About 150 Marines, 100 of which were wounded, remained waist deep in the water, suffering rapidly mounting casualties from strafing by several machine gun nests on the end of the pier, in the sunken ship, and by numerous snipers in abandoned AmTracs and LCVPs. There were few boats about so Lieutenant FLETCHER and the writer took it upon themselves to aid the men. Boat No. 14, under lieutenant FLETCHER, and Salvage Boat No. 13, made three or four trips each picking up wounded men and carrying them out to LCMs from which they were transferred to ships.

On the third or fourth trip, Boat No. 13 suffered a damaged propeller and the Salvage Officer ordered her to return to the SHERIDAN with her wounded. Boat No. 14 had already left the scene carrying a heavy load of badly wounded men directly to the SHERIDAN, so it was necessary for the Salvage Officer to take over another LCVP for the next trip. For the first time the boat was strafed while picking up the wounded. There were no casualties. By this time the incoming tide was giving the wounded men a bad time of it and increased strafing was adding rapidly to the list of casualties.
Stepped up measures were considered necessary. The Salvage Officer therefore decided to take in several LCVPs in an attempt to pick up all the remaining men in the water at once. Accordingly, on that return trip, he directed the coxswain to drop him at the nearest LCVP and continue on with his wounded to the nearest ship. The writer boarded LCVP PA3-9 (uncertain about boat number) and took over four LCVPs nearby, ordering them to transfer their extra passengers to LCMs, retaining only the boat crews and to follow him to the beach.