John Carroll Miller Jr. (December 25, 1912 – July 29, 2000) was a decorated officer 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 ...

with the rank of

Brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. A veteran of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

, he was wounded twice and received decorations for valor on

Saipan Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...

and

Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...

. He remained in the Marines and retired as Brigadier general and Commanding general, Landing Force Training Command, Atlantic.

Early career

John C. Miller Jr. was born on

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

1912 at Lake Andes, South Dakota, the son of John C. Miller and Hazel Peck. He graduated from high school there in summer 1931 and entered the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. While at the University, Miller was a member of the

Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...

. He graduated with a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in June 1935 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant of Infantry in the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed F ...

. Miller resigned his reserve commission in order to accept appointment as a second lieutenant in the

on September 10, 1935. He was subsequently ordered to the Basic School at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for basic officer training and was a member of the largest Basic School class to that date. This class provided two future Marine Corps Commandants (

Leonard F. Chapman Jr. Leonard Fielding Chapman Jr. (November 3, 1913 – January 6, 2000) was a United States Marine Corps general who served as the 24th Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1968 to 1972. He was a World War II combat veteran, decorated for his actions ...

and

Robert E. Cushman Jr. Robert Everton Cushman Jr. (December 24, 1914 – January 2, 1985) was a United States Marine Corps General (United States), four-star general who served as the 25th commandant of the Marine Corps from January 1, 1972, to June 30, 1975. He was hon ...

), five lieutenant generals (

Lewis J. Fields Lewis Jefferson Fields (October 1, 1909 – March 5, 1988) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general. He served with 1st Marine Division (United State ...

Frederick E. Leek Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederic ...

Herman Nickerson Jr. Herman Nickerson Jr. (30 July 1913 – 27 December 2000) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. A veteran of several wars, he distinguished himself during the Korean War as commanding ...

William J. Van Ryzin William John Van Ryzin (April 20, 1914 – July 1, 2002) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general. He is most noted as Headquarters Marine Corps, Chie ...

, Richard G. Weede), five major generals (

William R. Collins William Robert Collins (February 5, 1913 – October 16, 1991) was a highly decorated officer of United States Marine Corps with the rank of major general. As lieutenant colonel, Collins distinguished himself as Tank Battalion Commander during I ...

, William T. Fairbourn, Bruno Hochmuth,

Raymond L. Murray Major General Raymond Leroy Murray (January 30, 1913 – November 11, 2004) was a highly decorated United States Marine Corps officer who earned two Navy Crosses, one during World War II and a second during the Korean War. He retired from activ ...

Carey A. Randall Carey Allen Randall (November 15, 1912 – April 26, 2008) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Major general (United States), major general. A veteran of World War II, he is most noted for his service ...

) and six brigadier generals ( William W. Buchanan,

Odell M. Conoley Odell Maurice Conoley (November 9, 1913September 1, 1993) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Brigadier general (United States), brigadier general, who is most noted for his service with 2nd Battalion ...

, Frederick P. Henderson,

Roy L. Kline Roy Lewis Kline (September 10, 1914 – May 11, 2020) was a decorated naval aviator in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. A veteran of World War II, he distinguished himself as assistant air officer on the staff of ...

, Miller Jr. and

Thomas F. Riley Thomas Felton Riley (July 6, 1912 – February 19, 1998) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general. He is most noted for his service during the Guadalcanal Campaign as the commanding officer of ...

). Miller completed the school in May 1936 and was attached to the Marine Detachment aboard the battleship USS ''New Mexico''. He participated in the patrol cruises to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

until August 1937, when he was ordered to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

for duty with the

6th Marine Regiment The 6th Marine Regiment (also referred to as "6th Marines") is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The regiment falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Division (Unite ...

stationed as the part of Brigadier General

John C. Beaumont John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

's 2nd Marine Brigade at Shanghai International Settlement. He served in Shanghai during the outbreak of hostilities between China and Japan and returned with his regiment to the United States in April 1938. He was then stationed at Marine Barracks, San Diego and received a promotion to first lieutenant in October 1938. Miller was transferred to the Marine Barracks at Mare Island Navy Yard in May 1939 and assumed command of local barracks Marine Detachment in October that year. While in this capacity, he also saw temporary additional duty at the receiving ship,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in connection with Western Division Rifle and Pistol Matches.

World War II

With the increasing danger of Japanese expansion in the Pacific during 1939, chairman of Navy's Special Board, Admiral

Arthur J. Hepburn Arthur Japy Hepburn (October 15, 1877 – May 31, 1964) was an admiral in the United States Navy, whose active-duty career included service in the Spanish–American War, World War I, and World War II. He held a number of high posts in the year ...

, recommended the activation of Marine defense battalions. These special Marine units were designated the defense force of the Pacific naval bases and should be placed on

Midway Atoll Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...

Wake Island Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...

Johnston Atoll Johnston Atoll is an Unincorporated territories of the United States, unincorporated territory of the United States, currently administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Johnston Atoll is a National Wildlife Refuge and ...

and Palmyra Atoll. In August 1940, Miller joined the 1st Defense Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel

Bertram A. Bone Bertram Allison Bone (September 19, 1893 – October 22, 1961) was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Brigadier general (United States), brigadier general. He is most noted for his service as commanding officer ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

and embarked for

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

in February 1941, where he was promoted to Captain in November that year. Single detachments of the battalion were emplaced on Midway, Wake, Johnston and Palmyra Atolls. During the Japanese

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

on December 7, 1941, Miller participated in the defense of the harbor and later commanded

5"/51 caliber gun 5"/51 caliber guns (spoken "five-inch-fifty-one-caliber") initially served as the secondary battery of United States Navy battleships built from 1907 through the 1920s, also serving on other vessels. United States naval gun terminology indicates t ...

detachment at Palmyra Atoll. While there, he was promoted to Major in May 1942. Miller was ordered to

in February 1943 and joined the newly established 16th Defense Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Richard P. Ross. He assumed duty as Executive officer of the battalion and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in July that year. He was ordered to

one month later and assumed duty as Area Ordnance Officer, Fleet Marine Force, San Diego area under Major General

Clayton B. Vogel Clayton Barney Vogel (September 18, 1882 – November 26, 1964) was a United States Marine Corps officer with the rank of major general who served in a variety of capacities from 1902 until 1946. He is best known for his support of the Navajo cod ...

. He was responsible for the supplying of units in San Diego with weapons and ammunition, including their procurement and maintenance until February 1944, when he was ordered back to

for duty as Commanding officer,

3rd Battalion, 8th Marines 3rd Battalion 8th Marines (3/8) was an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, consisting of approximately 1,100 Marines and Sailors. The battalion fell under the command ...

attached to

2nd Marine Division The 2nd Marine Division (2nd MARDIV) is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF). The division is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina ...

under Major General

Thomas E. Watson Thomas Edward Watson (September 5, 1856 – September 26, 1922) was an American politician, attorney, newspaper editor and writer from Georgia. In the 1890s Watson championed poor farmers as a leader of the Populist Party, articulating an a ...

After a period of heavy fighting on

Tarawa Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati
''

Gilbert Islands The Gilbert Islands ( gil, Tungaru;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this n ...

in November 1943, the

8th Marine Regiment The 8th Marine Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. When last active, it was based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and fell under the command of the 2nd Marine Division and the II Marine Exped ...

under Lieutenant Colonel

John H. Griebel John Houghton Griebel (June 28, 1901 - March 10, 1969) was a decorated officer in the United States Marine Corps with the rank of Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier general. A veteran of United States occupation of Nicaragua, Nicaraguan ...

needed rest and refit. Miller spent four months with the intensive training in the mountainous area between the great volcanoes of

Mauna Kea Mauna Kea ( or ; ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. The peak is ...

and Mauna Loa and finally embarked with his battalion for Saipan in late May 1944. Miller took part in the main landing on June 15, 1944 and was badly wounded by mortar fragments during the approach to the beach. He remained in command of his battalion and directed operation of his battalion until he was wounded again and ordered to the rear by his superior officer. For his leadership on Saipan, Miller was decorated with a

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

with

Combat "V" Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

and two awards of the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...

for wounds. He was hospitalized at

Naval Hospital, San Diego Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD), also known as Bob Wilson Naval Hospital and informally referred to as "Balboa Hospital", or "The Pink Palace" (because the stucco of the first buildings that were constructed was pinkish in color), is a tech ...

until January 1945, when he was declared fit for duty and embarked again for Pacific area. Miller joined

5th Marine Regiment The 5th Marine Regiment (also referred to as "5th Marines") is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the most highly decorated regiment in the Marine Corps and falls u ...

under his old superior officer, now Colonel

, who received his new command following promotion. He served as Regimental operations officer during the period of intensive training at Pavuvu Island, Russell Islands, where 5th Marine Regiment was stationed for rest and refit after heavy fighting on Peleliu during September-October 1944. The situation similar with that one with 8th Marines on Hawaii back in early 1944. Shortly thereafter, Miller was attached as an observer to the Army's 7th Infantry Division under Major General Archibald V. Arnold and participated in combat in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and

. While on Okinawa, he rejoined 5th Marine Regiment on April 4, 1945, when commanding officer of 3rd Battalion, Major John H. Gustafson, was wounded in action and Colonel Griebel needed replacement. Miller assumed temporary command of the battalion and participated in heavy combat in the Awacha pocket, a Japanese stronghold built into a maze of clifflike ridges and tangled gorges. After repeated Marine attacks with the support of Air, Artillery, tank and naval gunfire support, the Japanese resistance was crushed on May 15, 1945. For his service on Okinawa, Miller received his second

. He was subsequently relieved and returned to the United States.

Postwar service

After a two-month leave, Miller was ordered to the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia, where he entered the Command and Staff Course, which he completed in February 1946. He then assumed duty as an Instructor in the Senior Course at the Amphibious Warfare School and remained in that assignment until June 1948. Miller was subsequently ordered to

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by Oc ...

, where he joined the staff of

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF). It is the ...

under Major General Graves B. ERskine and served for two years as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Training. He was ordered to the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...

in July 1950 and served as Executive Officer of the Marine Barracks,

15th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...

under Rear Admiral Albert M. Bledsoe until February 1951. Upon his return stateside, Miller was promoted to Colonel and attached to the Troop Training Unit, Amphibious Training Command, Pacific Fleet at

Coronado, California Coronado (Spanish for "Crowned") is a resort city located in San Diego County, California, United States, across the San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego. It was founded in the 1880s and incorporated in 1890. Its population was 24,697 at the ...

. He served consecutively as Director of Training under Brigadier Generals John T. Selden,

William W. Davies William W. Davies (9 August 1833 – 25 November 1906) was the leader of a Latter Day Saint schismatic group called the Kingdom of Heaven, which was located near Walla Walla, Washington, from 1867 to 1881. Davies was born in Eglwysfach county o ...

and Lewis Burwell Chesty Puller and also saw temporary duty in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

in 1952 as Chief of Troop Training Team, Amphibious Force, Far East during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. In July 1953, Miller was sent back to

for duty as Chief of Staff,

3rd Marine Division The 3rd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps based at Camp Courtney, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan. It is one of three active duty infantry divisions in the Marine Corps and together with th ...

under Major General Robert H. Pepper and embarked for

the following month as Chief of Staff of the 3rd Marine Division Advance Echelon. He was appointed Commanding officer of 3rd Marine Division's

4th Marine Regiment The 4th Marine Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. Based at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, it is part of the 3rd Marine Division of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Mission Close with and destroy the enemy by fi ...

stationed at Camp Nara,

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

in October 1953. His regiment served as a garrison force in Japan and its assigned mission was that of sharing in the defense responsibilities for southern Honshu and of being ready for rapid transfer to potential hot spots in the Far East. Miller was appointed Divisional Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics in April 1954. During August that year, General Pepper was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Commanding general,

Fleet Marine Force, Pacific The United States Fleet Marine Force, Pacific (FMFPAC) is the largest maritime landing force in the world. Its units are spread across the Pacific Ocean and reports to the United States Pacific Command. It is headquartered at MCB Camp H. M ...

with headquarters on

. Miller followed him as his Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations and Training and served in this capacity also under Pepper's successor, Lieutenant General William O. Brice. Miller was transferred to the Marine Corps Base Quantico,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in July 1956 and assumed duty as a member of the Advanced Research Group, tasked with the development of recommendations on how the

Marine air-ground task force Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF, pronounced MAG-TAF) is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined ar ...

should evolve structurally to meet the challenges of

atomic warfare Nuclear warfare, also known as atomic warfare, is a theoretical military conflict or prepared political strategy that deploys nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear wa ...

and new technologies such as helicopters and jet aircraft. In July 1957, Miller was ordered to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and assumed duty as Force Marine Officer on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief,

U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), is the United States Navy component command of the United States European Command and United States Africa Command. Prior to 2020, NAVEUR-NAVAF was previously referred to as United States ...

under Admiral

James L. Holloway Jr. James Lemuel Holloway Jr. (June 20, 1898 – January 11, 1984) was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as superintendent of the United States Naval Academy from 1947–1950; as Chief of Naval Personnel from 1953–1957; and as ...

He served in this capacity during the

Lebanon Crisis The 1958 Lebanon crisis (also known as the Lebanese Civil War of 1958) was a political crisis in Lebanon caused by political and religious tensions in the country that included a United States military intervention. The intervention lasted for aro ...

, a threat of a civil war between Maronite Christians and Muslims and also held additional duty as Senior Marine Officer on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Specified Command, Middle East. He returned to Quantico in July 1959 and assumed duty as Deputy Director, Marine Corps Educational Center within the Marine Corps Schools, Quantico under Lieutenant General

Merrill B. Twining General Merrill Barber Twining (November 28, 1902 – May 11, 1996) was a United States Marine Corps general who received a List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals#Tombstone generals, "tombstone promotion" to four-star general upon r ...

. Miller was appointed Director of the Center in November that year and promoted to the rank of brigadier general on January 1, 1960. His main responsibility was the Education of Marine Corps officers at each stage of officer's career. The Marine Corps Educational Center consisted of four resident schools and one correspondence or extension school. These are known as the Basic School focused on basic training for newly commissioned officers; Junior School for second and first lieutenants; Senior School for Captain and above; Communication Officers School trained selected junior officers in the operational aspects of communications; and Extension School prepared and administered correspondence courses that parallel resident instruction. In September 1961, he was appointed Director of the Marine Corps Landing Force Development Center at Quantico, which was focused on the development and testing of new tactics, equipment and techniques. Miller held that command until June 1962, when he was ordered to

Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...

for duty as Commanding General, Landing Force Training Unit, Atlantic. While in this capacity, Miller's command trained over 46,000 officers and men of the U.S. Military services and over 1,000 members of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations were trained in the various aspects of landing force operations related to amphibious assault. He also held additional duty as Commander, Amphibious Training Command, Atlantic Fleet and served as the director of control group during for exercise Steel Pike I, then-the largest peacetime amphibious exercise ever conducted with more than 55,000 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel, 1,800 Spanish Marines, and 141 ships participating. Miller served at Norfolk until April 1, 1965, when he retired from active duty after 30 years of commissioned service. For his service as Commanding general, Landing Force Training Unit, Atlantic, he was decorated with

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

Retirement

Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, Miller settled on

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

and remained there until summer of 2000, when he was ordered to the

for treatment. He died there on July 29, 2000, aged 87, and was buried with full military honors at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

. Miller was married to Margaret Pohlman and had two daughters Susan Hawkins and Jane Moritz.

Decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Brigadier General Miller:

References