World War II Honoree

Fred P. 'Bill' Miller

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Normangee, Texas

Honored By

Billie M. Veach and Betty Pfeffer

Relationship

Daughters

DRAFTED INTO WAR SERVICE AND AFTER HIS INDUCTION; NOVEMBER 17, 1943, HE ATTENDED ARMY BASIC TRAINING AT CAMP SHELBY, MISSISSIPPI. ASSIGNED TO THE PENNSYLVANIA 65TH INFANTRY DIVISION, NICKNAMED 'BATTLE-AXE' THAT WAS ALSO HEADQUARTERED AT CAMP SHELBY. TROOP TRAINED TO CAMP SHANKS, NEW YORK, DECEMBER 26, 1944. DEPARTED BY TROOP TRANSPORT SHIP FROM NEW YORK AND ARRIVED IN LE HAVRE, FRANCE, JANUARY 21, 1945. TRANSPORTED TO CAMP LUCKY STRIKE, JANUARY 22, 1945. JOINED GENERAL GEORGE PATTON'S 3RD ARMY, MARCH 9, 1945, ASSEMBLED NEAR ENNERY, FRANCE TO JOIN THE WESTERN ALLIED INVASION OF GERMANY. RELIEVED THE 26TH INFANTRY DIVISION, DEFENDING THE SAARLAUTERN BRIDGEHEAD AND ON MARCH 13, 1945, HIS REGIMENT CROSSED THE SAAR RIVER NEAR MENNINGEN TO CLEAR GERMAN DEFENDERS NEAR THE TOWN OF MERZIG. ARRIVED AT KILLINGEN, MARCH 17, 1945, AND TOOK THE TOWN THE FOLLOWING DAY, AS THE REMAINDER OF THE 65TH CAPTURED THE TOWN OF FRAULAUTERN. SEIZED SAARLAUTEN, MARCH 19, 1945 AND FOUGHT THROUGH THE WEST WALL AND CAPTURED THE TOWN OF NEUNKIRCHEN, MARCH 21, 1945. BIVOUACED NEAR OTTWEILER FOR REST AND REFITTING. JOINED THE 6TH ARMORED DIVISON, AND CROSSED THE RHINE RIVER THE NIGHT OF MARCH 29, 1945, AND CONTINUED IN HEAVY COMBAT TO THE FULDA RIVER. HELD THE REICHENSACHEN-LANGENHAIN LINE, APRIL 3, 1945. IN BAVARIA, OVERRAN SUBCAMP OF FLOSSENBURG CONCENTRATION CAMP, APRIL 20-21. WITH AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLES, CROSSED THE DANUBE, APRIL 26 AND LIBERATED THE CITY, AND THE NEXT DAY, SEIZED PASSAU. CROSSED THE ENNS RIVER, AND MADE CONTACT WITH SOVIET FORCES ON MAY 4, 1945. OCCUPIED LINZ, AUSTRIA FROM MAY 5-9. GERMANY SURRENDERED MAY 7, 1945. V-E DAY WAS DECLARED ACROSS EUROPE, MAY 8, 1945. AFTER HIS EUROPEAN ASSIGNMENTS WERE FULFILLED, HE HONORABLY SEPARATED AT CAMP FANNIN NEAR TYLER, TEXAS, DECEMBER 1945. AWARDED THE COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN THEATER RIBBON, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER RIBBON WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (RHINELAND AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS) AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. U.S. ARMY SERIAL NUMBER; 38 545 931.