World War II Honoree

Edwin Bruce Miller, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Viola, Kansas

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

MILITARY SERVICE BEGAN WITH HIS ENLISTMENT IN THE KANSAS NATIONAL GUARD. COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE U.S. ARMY ON JUNE 2, 1935. AFTER GRADUATING FROM WICHITA UNIVERSITY IN KANSAS, CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY ON JULY 8, 1936 AND ASSIGNED TO FORT CROOK AT BELLEVUE, NEBRASKA. APPLIED FOR AND WAS SELECTED FOR ARMY AIR CORPS AVIATION TRAINING. REASSIGNED TO RANDOLPH FIELD AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS IN 1937 FOR FLYING TRAINING. UPON COMPLETION OF TRAINING AT KELLY FIELD AT SAN ANTONIO, AWARDED HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS ON JUNE 16, 1938. REASSIGNED TO FORT SILL AT LAWTON, OKLAHOMA WHERE HE FLEW VARIOUS AIRCRAFT INCLUDING B-10 BOMBERS, BT-2 BOMBER TRAINER PLANES, AND TRANSPORTS. DUTIES INCLUDED SERVING AS A PILOT, INSTRUCTOR AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER. TRANSFERRED TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA IN 1941. AFTER THE JAPANESE SURPRISE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII ON DECEMBER 7, 1941, REASSIGNED TO THE 30TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP STATIONED AT MARCH FIELD AT RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA WITH THE 4TH AIR FORCE. SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER WITH THE 30TH GROUP AND ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE GROUP ON AUGUST 30, 1943. HIS B-24 ‘LIBERATOR’ BOMBER GROUP PATROLLED OFF THE WEST COAST AND PARTICIPATED IN THE ANTISUBMARINE CAMPAIGN. DEPLOYED OVERSEAS WITH HIS UNIT AND WAS BASED AT HICKAM FIELD IN THE TERRITORY OF HAWAII BEGINNING OCTOBER 20, 1943. SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER WITH THE 30TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 7TH AIR FORCE. PARTICIPATED IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC, AIR OFFENSIVE-JAPAN, EASTERN MANDATES, AND WESTERN PACIFIC CAMPAIGNS. STATIONED AT NANUMEA IN THE ELLICE ISLANDS BEGINNING NOVEMBER 12, 1943; ABEMAMA IN THE GILBERT ISLANDS BEGINNING JANUARY 4, 1944; KWAJALEIN IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS BEGINNING ABOUT MARCH 20, 1944; AND SAIPAN IN THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS BEGINNING AUGUST 4, 1944. FLEW 51 COMBAT MISSIONS AND LOGGED 455 COMBAT FLYING HOURS. HIS GROUP STRUCK ENEMY TARGETS AND INSTALLATIONS ON TARAWA ATOLL, BETIO ISLAND, AND MAKIN ATOLL IN THE INVASION OF THE GILBERT ISLANDS IN 1943; AT KWAJALEIN ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS IN 1944; AND WAKE ISLAND, AND SAIPAN AND GUAM IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS IN 1944. RELINQUISHED COMMAND OF THE 30TH GROUP ON NOVEMBER 2, 1944. AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER, SOLDIER’S MEDAL, AIR MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH BRONZE SERVICE STAR, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH SILVER SERVICE STAR AND BRONZE SERVICE STAR, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. CONTINUED IN U.S. AIR FORCE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF COLONEL.