World War II Honoree

Jack 'Jacon' Miller

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Honored By

A Grateful American

JOINED THE U.S. NAVY AT 17. HE WAS FLYING COMBAT MISSIONS AT 18, AFTER TRAINING AND SQUADRON ASSIGNMENT. HE FLEW AS A COMBAT CREWMAN, PLANE CAPTAIN WITH BOMBING 139-A UNIT OF FLEET AIR WING 4 OUT OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS INTO JAPAN. HIS SQUADRON WAS KNOWN AS BOMBING SQUADRON 139, FLEET AIR WING 4, EMPIRE EXPRESS. HIS MISSIONS STARTED IN OCTOBER 1943 AND INCLUDED LOW LEVEL BOMBING, NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY, RECONNAISSANCE AND RAIDS ON JAPANESE MILITARY SHIPS. ON NEW YEAR'S EVE 1943, HIS PLANE CRASH LANDED ON THE FROZEN ISLAND OF AGATHA, 30 MILES WEST OF ATTU, IT TOOK THE U.S. NAVY 2 DAYS TO GET HIM OFF THE ISLAND BY SEAGOING TUG BOAT BECAUSE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS. HE WAS AWARDED THE AIR SERVICE MEDAL WITH 3 GOLD STARS.