Michael D. Healy

Major General Michael D. Healy (born June 13, 1926, in Chicago) is a retired general officer in the United States Army who spent 35 years serving in the military, completing tours in Korea and Vietnam. Healy began his career with parachute training in Japan, then attended a number of Army Colleges, including Ranger School. He entered the Korean War as a Company Commander with the Airborne Rangers, a newly formed unit of the Army. Most of his career was spent in Vietnam, where he served five and a half tours, leading the 5th Special Forces group for almost 20 months, and earning him his first Distinguished Service Medal.

Early life and career

Michael D. Healy was born on June 13, 1926, in Chicago, IL., the first of four sons. His father, Daniel Healy, served as the Chief of Police of Chicago. In 1945, when he was 19 years old, Healy enlisted in the United States Army at Fort Sheridan, IL. One year later, he graduated from Infantry OCS at Fort Benning, Georgia. Years later, he would be inducted into the OCS Hall of Fame. Private Healy’s first assignment, with the 1st Cavalry Division and the Army of Occupation in Japan, involved investigation of Russian-backed Communists in post-war Japan . While in Japan, Healy completed intense parachute training, which would later earn him a master parachutist badge. It was there, too, that he met his wife, Jacklyn, the daughter of a US prosecutor in the Japan War Trials. Healy served many troop assignments in Japan until 1946, when he returned to the United States and married Jackie. Healy then attended the United States Army Airborne School, advanced physical training for paratroopers, and Ranger School, a counter intelligence school.

David Healy (astronomer)

David B. Healy (1936–2011) was an American astrophotographer and asteroid discoverer who is known for his contributions to Burnham's Celestial Handbook.

History

David B. Healy was born 1936 in Los Angeles, California. He was an automotive industry analyst for Drexel Burnham in New York and later a stock broker before retiring to Arizona. He dedicated his life to Astronomy and the discovery of planets. While in New York, he was a longtime member of the Astronomical Society of Long Island. Once in Sierra Vista, Arizona, he became a valued member of the Huachuca Astronomy Club.

He was well known for his pioneering work in astrophotography (in particular with cooled and hypered emulsion astrophotography before silver became silicon) with multiple contributions to leading astronomy publications. Healy established the Junk Bond Observatory in Arizona for visual work and recoveries of minor planets.

On September 4, 1999 a main-belt asteroid was discovered by Myke Collins and Minor White at Anza. It was called 66479 Healy after the founder of the JBO. Healy was also an original contributor to Burnham's Celestial Handbook. The JBO established by Healy operates a 32-inch Ritchey Chretien reflector chiefly for minor planet astrometry and is credited with over 500 discoveries. After his chief co-discoverer Jeffrey Medkeff died in 2008, Dave decided to participate in the search for exo-planets. His telescope is still being used in the search for these planetary systems.