Stories: Wayne G Heaton Stabbing - Various Contributors
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| A robber stabbed Wayne Heaton in the Genkan of the Otaru Church in 1961. A missionary in Otaru, Elder Heaton, was stabbed by a teen age burgler. An operation was performed to remove his spleen. The Prophet and Quorum of the 12 prayed for him specifically. The operation was poorly performed, and President Andrus arranged for his air evacuation to a US military hospital, where US surgeons found that the original surgeon had failed to seal some internal wounds. Elder Heaton narrowly survived. Rodney Zaugg & Wayne subdued the robber. Wayne had a 12" knife in him and thanks to Pres. Andrus's Military contacts, his life was saved. Some US Sailors donated blood to Wayne and he was lifeflighted to Tokyo. Elder Ron George added: I was there in Otaru with Elders Zaugg, Nishimoto and (1 more ) and Heaton. There were five of us because of a transfer the next day. It was late '61 or early '62, without looking back at my journal. There is no question that it was momentous. Regards, Ron George rggwrp@yahoo.com Wayne George Heaton, loving father, grandfather, brother and friend, passed away on Monday, August 3, 2009 in St. George, Utah Elder Arno Troff just sent me the following email concerning Elder Wayne Heaton who passed away, 3 Aug 2009 in St. George. Thank you Elder Troff: Did you notice the obit on Wayne Heaton who passed 3 August 2009? He was my second companion in Kobe. He transferred up to Hokaido after I went up to Tokyo West and he was there stabbed by an intruder in the elders quarters with a ten inch butcher knife from their own kitchen. He was administered to by the elders there and Pres. Andrus had him flown down to an American services hospital near Tokyo and he recovered. Just before I left Japan a professional westler was stabbed in about the same part of his body with a 2 inch pocket knife by a gangster in some restruant in Tokyo and he died. This was always a testimony to me of the power of the priesthood. Wayne was stabbed around May 6, 1962. Arno Troff, NFEM 1961-1963 arnotroff@hotmail.com More on the Heaton stabbing story: Elder Charles Whipple adds: Elder Heaton and I travelled to Hokkaido together in late 1962. He was returning to Otaru Branch, where he'd been stabbed. He stopped off in Hakodate to visit the man who stabbed him as he was in prison there. I had been assigned to Muroran Branch, where I stayed until the end of my mission. Charles Whipple Chiba, Japan dorikam-4012-angel-4111@inexjapan.jp And Elder Scott Riser adds: I AM ELDER SCOTT RISER (JAPAN 1961-1964), CURRENTLY SERVING A MISSION WITH SISTER RISER IN THE THAILAND BANGKOK MISSION, ASSIGNED TO LAOS AS WELFARE-HUMANITARIAN MISSIONARIES. ELDER HEATON WAS TRANSFERRED TO MATSUMOTO, WHERE I WAS SERVING, AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE STABBING INCIDENT. SOME ADDITIONAL FACTS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTING: WHEN ELDER HEATON ARRIVED AT TACHIKAWA AFB IN TOKYO, HE WAS OPERATED ON BY PRESIDENT DON CHRISTIANSON. DR. CHRISTIANSON WAS THE HEAD SURGEON AT TACHIKAWA AND ALSO THE BRANCH PRESIDENT OF THE JOHNSON AFB BRANCH. HE WAS MY BRANCH PRESIDENT BEFORE I WAS CALLED ON MY MISSION. MY FATHER WAS HIS 1ST COUNSELOR. (THAT IS WHY I KNOW THIS PART OF THE STORY) WHEN HE HEARD THAT ELDER HEATON WAS COMING HE PRAYED AND THEN ALSO ADMINISTERED TO ELDER HEATON BEFORE HE STARTED OPERATING ON HIM. FROM THE SCAR THAT I SAW ON ELDER HEATON AND THE STORY HE TOLD US ABOUT THE INCIDENT, AND THE MIRACLE OF THE OPERATION PERFORMED BY DR. CHRISTIANSON WHO WAS TRULY GUIDED BY THE SPIRIT, I KNOW THE WHOLE END RESULT WAS A MIRACLE. BY THE WAY, DR.CHRISTIANSON EVENTUALLY BECAME THE HEAD SURGEON AT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY, A REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE, A MISSION PRESIDENT IN ARKANSAS, AND THE TEMPLE PRESIDENT OF THE LAS VEGAS TEMPLE. MY WIFE AND I MET HIM IN THE TEMPLE BY CHANCE, LESS THAN A YEAR BEFORE HIS DEATH. ELDER AND SISTER SCOTT RISER swriser@gmail.com Kats Kajiyama says: Thank you very much for letting me know the news of Wayne Heaton. My heart aches with sorrow. We had such a wonderful reunion at Salt Lake temple during Christmas holiday of 2007. He kept hugging me with huge smile. My family met him and loved him instantly. It was an extra ordinal reunion. We have not seen each other since 1962 summer when he visited me in Hawaii on his way to home from his mission. Then, he showed me and my friends his freshly wounded scar on his abdomen. We all cried. We'll miss him. Kats Kajiyama kajiyamk@byuh.edu
Dave Olsen (1960-1963) was serving in Hokkaido at the time of the stabbing.
Here is a write up of the stabbing that appeared in the Deseret News on May 9, 1962.
Here are some excerpts from Dave's letters home.
May 10, 1962
"...I may as well tell you the other news. A few months agon in Otaru (the city my companion and I visit once a month.) A burglar or thief started coming in the Church and stealing missionary equipment. I was told of this and asked if they had contacted the police. They said that the police station was across the street and that they had contacted the police. Last Monday morning (7th) about 1:00 o'clock Elder Wayne Heaton heard a noise and went out in the chapel in Otaru and was met by the thief who stabbed him in the stomach with a knive. The others came running and caught the kid (17 years old.) The thing was on TV throughout the day and in the newspaper. I was notified Monday morning by members and phoned Otaru and Tokyo immediately. Pres. Andrus was in Okinawa but I talked to Sister Andrus who apparently knew about it somehow. (The Otaru elders had not phoned yet.) She relayed the message to Pres. Andrus who flew to Otaru. I talked with him today in Otaru by phone yesterday. I phoned again today and found that Pres. Andrus and Elder Heaton took the plane back to Tokyo, and the injured Elder will enter a hospital (probably a better one) in Tokyo, I guess."
May 23, 1962
Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan
"...I talked with Elder Zaugg who was Elder Wayne Heaton's companion. Elder Zaugg was right there and knows what happened. I learned from him the following details about Elder Heaton's accident (?) injury:
Elder Heaton and Elder Zaugg were asleep. Elder Zaugg first heard a noise, raised up and shined his flashlight around their bedroom and discovered the door to their room had been opened. He awakened Elder Heaton and the waited until they heard another noise. When they did Elder Zaugg wanted to jump up immediately but Elder Heaton held him back and told him to "play possum" or something like that. He motioned to stay put and while the two "played possum" the burglar crept back and closed the door to their room! The two missionaries were right up and the chase was on! Both missionaries hustled out into the chapel. First Elder Heaton and then Elder Zaugg. Elder Heaton grabbed the guy just before he left the chapel and there was a scuffle. During the scuffle, the young kid jammed a big-long butcher knive into Elder Heaton's stomach. Elder Heaton promptly sent the guy to the floor with a blow of a flashlight to the head. Elder Zaugg couldn't get the knive out, then ran upstairs and got the other missionaries. When they returned downstairs the guy was just coming to and apparently had to be held by the others. Elder Heaton had the knive out by this time. Elder Whitelock apparently chipped in with a "kendo stick" over the thief's head.
Elder Heaton was administered to, men for the ship (or ships?) in port gave blood, and blood was brought from Sapporo. That morning the maid called to Tokyo first. I phoned Otaru and Tokyo just after that. Pres. Andrus was here Wednesday and I talked with him but he hadn't seen Elder Heaton at that time as he'd just arrived. Pres. Andrus took Elder Heaton back with him on the plane to Tokyo. I understand that he's doing well there now."
I hope this helps. Kathie Olsen
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Bill Grimmett says: When I was in Sapporo we were burglarized; various recorders and electronics were taken. We made a report to the police and in a short while we received a call from the police stating that our property had been found. We went to claim our property; it was here that I noticed a man handcuffed and taken away. The fellow helping us said that that man was our robber and he was the man who ten years prior had stabbed a missionary in another attempted robbery in the missionary quarters. I had heard this legend of the stabbed missionary long before I had gotten to Hokkaido. And then right there before my eyes was the infamous character. So I have an attachment to that Elder Wayne Heaton who died recently.
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