Honoring Heritage: Inside an Airman's Dorm Museum Published March 6, 2025 By Daniel Peterson 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- All Airmen recite the Airman’s Creed throughout their careers. Being faithful to a proud heritage, with the tradition and legacy of the U.S. Air Force among its main tenets. Airman 1st Class William Heimberger, a signals and technical intelligence analyst at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, embodies those characteristics by going above and beyond the norm in a unique way. U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class William Heimberger, National Air and Space Intelligence Center signals and technical intelligence analyst, dons a 1950s-era service dress uniform at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Feb. 12, 2025. Heimberger collects vintage U.S. Air Force and Army Air Corps uniforms and memorabilia dating back to World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Peterson)(photo captured on a Rolleiflex 3.5 film camera) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Found inside Wilhelm Hall on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Heimberger’s living quarters have affectionately earned the nickname the “dorm museum.” His walls and shelves tell a visual history of the U.S. Air Force and Army Air Corps, showcasing an extensive collection of vintage uniforms and memorabilia dating back to World War II. Stepping inside his room, there is a distinct musky smell that triggers a feeling of nostalgia, like entering an old antique store. Mannequins dressed in uniforms and caps of the past stand among historical framed photos, patches, and maps. A large footlocker reveals period-specific contents laid out neatly inside, including rolled socks, toiletries, and a boot polishing kit. Every museum-quality item is meticulously displayed, smartly utilizing what little space is available inside his room, while still adhering to dorm inspection standards. “Prior to my enlistment, I actually had a separate room strictly for display purposes, my own museum room,” Heimberger said. “I told myself, once I had my own room [after enlisting], I would make sure that I used every inch of that dorm to display all my items.” Inspired by WWII history from a young age after watching Saving Private Ryan, Heimberger started procuring military relics, specifically focused on items from the U.S. Army’s European theater operations. Both of his grandfathers participated in WWII in some capacity, one in the Army, the other in the U.S. Merchant Marines. Both played a role in shaping Heimberger’s perception of the military, but he had more time hearing his grandfather’s stories as a Merchant Marine. “His interest and his passion with the service obviously made me passionate about eventually joining the military,” Heimberger said. “I have always been interested in a uniformed role. I think that one of the best careers you can make in life is one where you serve others.” Since enlisting in the Air Force, Heimberger has directed his collecting efforts towards the uniforms and memorabilia of the service branch he now proudly serves. A1C William Heimberger, Wright-Patt dorm museum airman A collection of vintage U.S. Air Force and Army Air Corps uniforms and memorabilia, belonging to Airman 1st Class William Heimberger, on display inside a dormitory room at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Jan. 27, 2025. Heimberger, National Air and Space Intelligence Center signals and technical intelligence analyst, has decorated his room with his personal collection, creating a dorm museum. (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Peterson) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res A1C William Heimberger, Wright-Patt dorm museum airman U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class William Heimberger, National Air and Space Intelligence Center signals and technical intelligence analyst, stands next to his collection of vintage U.S. Air Force and Army Air Corps uniforms and memorabilia at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Jan. 27, 2025. Heimberger’s passion for military history can be seen on display in his personal collection decorating his dorm room. (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Peterson) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res A1C William Heimberger, Wright-Patt dorm museum airman A collection of vintage U.S. Air Force and Army Air Corps uniforms and memorabilia, belonging to Airman 1st Class William Heimberger, on display inside a dormitory room at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Jan. 27, 2025. Heimberger, National Air and Space Intelligence Center signals and technical intelligence analyst, has decorated his room with his personal collection, creating a dorm museum. (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Peterson) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Heimberger’s dorm museum collection, amassed from military surplus stores, antique shops, eBay, and trades, includes rarities like a transitional-era Air Force blue service cap with a brown leather visor (an Army Air Corps holdover), a blue tiger-stripe Airman Battle Uniform prototype, and a commemorative plaque once belonging to Chief Master Sgt. James McCoy, sixth CMSgt. of the Air Force, gifted by fellow military history enthusiast, Jack Waid, Air Force Materiel Command's heritage director. “It’s awesome that an active-duty Airman has this much passion for their heritage in this way,” Waid said about Heimberger. “He is so passionate about this stuff, that he’s willing to take up his whole room to share it. I would think he has the largest personal display of any A1C in the Air Force.” Since meeting, the two have formed a strong friendship and often collaborate by looking out for items for each other’s collections. Waid feels encouraged knowing that Heimberger is holding onto and carrying the Air Force’s legacy into the future by providing an opportunity to experience history up close in person. “What he is doing is important, because you can touch, feel, experience it right there in front of you instead of glass dividing you from our heritage,” Waid added. Heimberger’s goal going forward is to find new ways to share his collection, whether constructing event displays, contributing to base historical initiatives, or delivering presentations in collaboration with base and community partners. He believes all Airmen should possess some knowledge of the past, and through his collection of uniforms and memorabilia, it can help make history more interesting and accessible. “I would be more than happy to open my door to anyone who would like to see it. History, in my opinion, is something that should never be hidden or locked away behind a display case,” Heimberger concluded. “I am one for what I would consider tangible history. Being able to go up to and look at it, touch a uniform, or open a book and read it. I think that can give an individual a more personal connection with history, and in return, help that individual to understand it that much better.” To Heimberger, the “dorm museum” is not just a hobby, it is his way of bringing history to life and staying faithful to that proud heritage.