World War II Honoree

John Bruce Miller

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Eunice, Louisiana

Honored By

Carl J. Wittfeld, Jr.

Relationship

27th Bomb Group Friend

JOINED THE 16TH BOMB SQUADRON, 27TH BOMB GROUP AT BARKSDALE ARMY AIR BASE IN SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA AUGUST 23, 1940. TRANSFERRED WITH THE 27TH BOMB GROUP TO THE SAVANNAH ARMY AIR BASE, SAVANNAH GEORGIA IN JANUARY 1941. IN OCTOBER 1941 THE UNIT WENT BY TRAIN TO SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA AND SAILED ON THE STEAMSHIP SS PRESIDENT COOLIDGE TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS LANDING AT MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS NOVEMBER 20, 1941. SOON AFTER ARRIVING, PEARL HARBOR WAS ATTACKED AND THEN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, AND HE WAS THRUST INTO WAR. HE FOUGHT VALIANTLY AGAINST ALL ODDS UNTIL CAPTURED AT MARIVELES AT THE END OF THE BATAAN PENINSULAR BY THE JAPANESE ARMY APRIL 9, 1942. SURVIVED THE INFAMOUS 'BATAAN DEATH MARCH' AND STARVATION, DISEASE AND TORTURE IN CAMPS O'DONNELL AND CABANATUAN. IN NOVEMBER 1942, HE WAS SHIPPED TO JAPAN ON THE JAPANESE 'HELL SHIP' NAGATO MARU AND WAS FORCED TO WORK IN COAL MINES AT PRISONER OF WAR CAMPS IN YODOGAWA AND OEYAMA NEAR OSAKA, JAPAN. AFTER THE ATOM BOMBS WERE DROPPED ON JAPAN, BRUCE WAS LIBERATED BY U.S. MILITARY FORCES IN SEPTEMBER 1945. HE RETURNED TO THE U.S. AND TO EUNICE, LOUISIANA ON OCTOBER 25, 1945. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AS SERGEANT FROM THE ARMY AIR FORCES MARCH 28, 1946 AND WAS AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION MEDAL WITH TWO OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, PHILIPPINE DEFENSE RIBBON WITH BRONZE STAR, ASIATIC-PACIFIC SERVICE MEDAL WITH TWO BRONZE STARS, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH BRONZE STAR, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.