World War II Honoree

Harold James Miller

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Springfield, Missouri

Honored By

Sandra Vincent

Relationship

Daughter

RANK: BUCK SERGEANT; ENLISTED AND WENT INTO 8TH ARMY AIR FORCE 44TH AIR DEPOT GROUP ON FEBRUARY 10, 1943. HE WAS INDUCTED IN FT LEAVENWORTH KANSAS AND SENT TO JEFFERSON BARRACKS IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI TO INDUCTION CENTER FOR BASIC TRAINING. HE THEN WENT TO HAMMER FIELD IN CLOVIS, CALIFORNIA TO AN OVERSEAS TRAINING BASE. A JOB OPENING CAME UP AT HAMMER FIELD STOCKING COUNTER AND UPLOADING AN OVERSEAS BRANCH PX AT SQUAW VALLEY WHICH HE RAN FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. HE THEN VOLUNTEERED FOR OVERSEAS DUTY AND SHIPPED TO EAST COAST TO A DEBARKATION SITE WHERE HE SHIPPED TO EUROPE. HE SHIPPED AS A CASUAL BUT THEN WAS A CORPORAL AND IN CHARGE RUNNING A BRANCH PX FIRST IN ENGLAND THEN MARVILLE, FRANCE AT TROOP CONTROL AND SPECIAL ORDERS SECTION IN HEADQUARTERS DIVISION GETTING SUPPLIES FROM HAMMER FIELD. MADE BUCK SERGEANT EARNING 3 STRIPES AND WAS A MILLIOGRAPH OPERATOR. WHEN STAFF SERGEANT SHIPPED OUT HE WAS PUT IN CHARGE OF BATTALION HEADQUARTERS STATION. WHEN A COMPANY NEEDED PERSONNEL THEY TELE-TYPED WHAT TYPE AND NUMBER NEEDED AND HE PICKED OUT SO MANY FROM EACH COMPANY (GUNNERS, MPS, CLERK TYPISTS, ETC) TO MAKE UP THE NEW COMPANY. HE APPROVED THROUGH PERSONNEL, TYPED UP THEIR ORDERS, TELE-TYPED AND MIMEOGRAPHED THE ORDERS TO SHIP THEM OUT. HE ALSO PROCESSED PAPERWORK FOR INCOMING OR PERSONNEL BEING RECEIVED. FROM FRANCE, HE WENT TO HEADQUARTERS DIVISION IN OBERPFAFFENHOFEN, GERMANY NOT TOO FAR FROM MUNICH AND BECAME HEADQUARTERS SERGEANT WHEN HIS SERGEANT ROTATED HOME. WHEN HIS TIME WAS ALMOST UP, JUST SHORT OF 3 YEARS, HE WAS ABLE TO TYPE UP HIS OWN SHIPPING ORDERS TO ROTATE BACK TO UNITED STATES, COMING BACK TO NEW JERSEY. HE ARRIVED HOME TO SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI ON FEBRUARY 3, 1945 AND WAS OFFICIALLY DISCHARGED ON FEBRUARY 10, 1945. HE WAS AWARDED A BRONZE STAR FOR AN OVERSEAS CAMPAIGN IN 1945 AND ALSO RECEIVED A GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.