Captain Heise was a decorated veteran of World War II. In Korea, he was an aircraft commander of a B-29A Superfortress Bomber with the 372th Bomber Squadron, 307th Bomber Wing based at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa. On 10 January 1953, his aircraft was shot down by enemy MiGs over Anju marshalling yards in North Korea. Eleven members of his crew were taken prisoner, but Captain Heise was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on 11 January 1954. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.

For his leadership and valor, Captain Heise was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Commendation Ribbon, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.