John Grider Miller (born 23 August 1935 in

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

– died 31 August 2009 in

) was a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

, who served as managing editor of '' U.S. Naval Institute ''Proceedings'''' and of ''Naval History''.

Career

After graduating from Yale in 1957, Miller was commissioned in the Marine Corps. He was an infantry officer, commanded a U. S. Marine battalion, and served as an advisor to the Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. Later in his career, he was Deputy Director of the Marine Corps' History and Museums Division and was a speechwriter to three

Commandant of the Marine Corps The commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) is normally the highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions. The CMC reports directly to the secr ...

. He joined the

United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...

staff on 19 September 1985 and served until 31 August 2000, becoming managing editor of ''Proceedings'' and ''Naval History Magazine'', the latter of which he had helped to establish in 1988. He wrote several books of which the best known is ''The Bridge at Dong Ha'', the story of Navy Cross recipient John Ripley (USMC).

Recognition

Military decorations

Other awards

* Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement, 2002. * Brigadier General Robert L. Denig Memorial Distinguished Performance Award, 2009.

Published books

* ''The Battle to save the

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, October 1944 to March 1945''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1985; 2000. * ''The bridge at Dong Ha''. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1989. * ''Punching out: launching a post-military career'' by Fred Mastin with John Grider Miller. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1994. * ''The co-vans: U.S. Marine advisors in Vietnam''. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 2000. {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, John Grider 1935 births 2009 deaths Writers from Annapolis, Maryland American naval historians American male non-fiction writers American military writers Yale University alumni United States Marine Corps colonels United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War Recipients of the Legion of Merit Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Military personnel from Maryland 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers Historians from Maryland