World War II Honoree

Earl L. Miller

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Burton, Ohio

Honored By

Mr. Ted Miller

THE 77TH DIVISION, 306TH INFANTRY, COMPANY G, MACHINE GUNNER. JOINED THE 77TH ON MOP-UP OF LEYTE. THEN ON TO THE KERAMA RETTO ISLAND WHERE WE TOOK ONE ISLAND A DAY. THEN 12 DAYS OF FIERCE FIGHTING ON IE SHIMA. THEN TO OKINAWA WHERE WE BATTLED UNTIL THE ISLAND WAS SECURED. THEN TO CEBU FOR R AND R, THEN TO JAPAN FOR THE OCCUPATION. MEN OF THE 77TH RAISED THE AMERICAN FLAG FOR THE FIRST TIME OVER JAPANESE HOME ISLAND, GERUMA SHIMA, MARCH 1945. FROM MAY 1944 TO 1945, MEDALS, CITATIONS, AND AWARDS RECEIVED: COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR, 2 BATTLE STARS, BRONZE ARROWHEAD, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN RIBBON, WWII VICTORY RIBBON, WWII OCCUPATION RIBBON, COMBAT ACTION (U.S. NAVY, U.S. MARINE CORPS) RIBBON, PHILIPPINES DEFENSE RIBBON AND PHILIPPINES LIBERATION RIBBONS. ALL OF THESE AWARDS WERE THE RESULT OF THE PARTICIPATION IN THE BATTLES OF THE KERAMA RETTO ISLAND, IE SHIMA AND OKINAWA. WE RECEIVED NEW EQUIPMENT AND ORDERS AND WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST WAVE TO INVADE JAPAN. THE DROPPING OF THE ATOM BOMB PROBABLY SAVED MY LIFE AS IT ENDED WWII.