World War II Honoree

Josef M. Miller

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Marion County, Oregon

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE IN 1942. VOLUNTEERED FOR DUTY WITH ARMY AIRBORNE FORCES. SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED AIRBORNE (PARATROOPER) TRAINING AND WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER PARACHUTIST BADGE (WINGS). TRAINED AND SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, INCLUDING AT FORT BRAGG AT FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. STAGED WITH HIS UNIT AT CAMP EDWARDS AT FALMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS ON APRIL 18, 1943 AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION ON APRIL 28, 1943 ABOARD THE TROOP SHIP USS GEORGE WASHINGTON AND ARRIVED AT CASABLANCA, MOROCCO IN NORTH AFRICA ON MAY 10, 1943. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 504TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT, 82ND AIRBORNE 'ALL AMERICAN' DIVISION DURING THE WAR, INCLUDING IN NORTH AFRICA; SICILY; AND ITALY. PARTICIPATED IN THE SICILY, AND NAPLES-FOGGIA CAMPAIGNS. HE TOOK PART IN THE AIRBORNE ASSAULT ON GELA, SICILY IN JULY, 1943, AND MOVED WITH HIS UNIT ALONG THE COASTAL HIGHWAY AND SEIZED THE MARSALA-TRAPANI AREA OF THE WESTERN COAST. NEXT, JOINED IN THE REGIMENT'S PARACHUTE ASSAULT NEAR SALERNO, ITALY ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1943, ATTACKED TO TAKE ALTAVILLA, AND FOUGHT TOWARD NAPLES. HIS UNIT CAPTURED GALLO AND THEN BATTLED ALONG THE 'WINTER LINE' INTO DECEMBER, 1943. PRIVATE MILLER LATER DIED OF NON-BATTLE INJURIES IN 1944. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, COMBAT PARACHUTIST BADGE WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (2 JUMPS), BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE ARROWHEADS (2 COMBAT PARACHUTE JUMPS), AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.