World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Robert Herbert Miller
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Richmond, Indiana
Honored By
Sam E. Pennartz
ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 10 DECEMBER 1942 AT PATTERSON FIELD NEAR FAIRFIELD, OHIO. HE WAS SELECTED FOR AVIATION CADET TRAINING, COMPLETING PRIMARY AND BASIC FLIGHT TRAINING. GRADUATED FROM ADVANCED MULTI-ENGINE FLIGHT TRAINING, AND WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT TRANSITION AND OPERATIONAL COMBAT CREW TRAINING, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO AIRCREW A-41 AT PRATT ARMY AIR FIELD, KANSAS. IN OCTOBER 1944, HE DEPLOYED FROM MATHER FIELD, CALIFORNIA (WITH RE-FUELING STOPS AT HAWAII AND KWAJALEIN ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS) TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 497TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VH), 871ST BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 19 FEBRUARY 1945, HE FLEW IN THE RIGHT SEAT AS A PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'JOKERS WILD II' TAIL CODE A-SQUARE-41 (SERIAL #42-24857). IT WAS ONE OF 150 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD TARGET #357; THE MUSASHINO ENGINE WORKS OF THE NAKAJIMA AIRCRAFT COMPANY NEAR TOKYO, JAPAN. AFTER A FLIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY SEVEN HOURS AND SOME 1,200 NAUTICAL MILES, HIS AIRCRAFT REACHED THEIR CHECK-POINT ABOVE MOUNT FUJI ON THE MAIN ISLAND OF HONSHU, AND BEGAN THEIR BOMB-RUN NORTH-EAST TOWARDS TOKYO. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, ENEMY OPPOSITION FROM FIGHTERS AND ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY WAS DESCRIBED AS MODERATE WITH THICK CLOUD COVER. HOWEVER, WHILE EN ROUTE BACK TO SAIPAN, THEY WERE FORCED TO DITCH DUE TO LACK OF FUEL CAUSED BY BATTLE DAMAGE RECEIVED OVER TOKYO. AT APPROXIMATELY 2100HRS THEY CRASH LANDED IN ROUGH SEAS ABOUT 9 MILES OFF AGRIHAN ISLAND, WITH THE BOMBER BREAKING INTO TWO PIECES AND QUICKLY SINKING. THEY WERE LAST SIGHTED BY B-29 AIRCREW T-SQ-3 OF THE 873RD BOMB SQUADRON AT A GEOGRAPHIC POSITION OF NORTH LATITUDE 17-DEGREES +55-MINUTES AND EAST LONGITUDE 145-DEGREES +30 MINUTES.