World War II Honoree

Joseph Benjamin 'Ben' Miller

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Morristown, New Jersey

Honored By

The Miller Family

Relationship

Kin

DRAFTED INTO MILITARY SERVICE IN FEBRUARY, 1943. TOOK BASIC TRAINING AT FORT DIX AT WRIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY. ALSO SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AT CAMP PICKETT, AT BLACKSTONE, VIRGINIA AND CAMP SHENANGO (CAMP REYNOLDS) AT GREENVILLE PENNSYLVANIA. STAGED AT CAMP SHANKS AT ORANGEBURG, NEW YORK, IN THE WINTER OF 1943, AWAITING OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SAILED ON A NORWEGIAN OIL TANKER FROM THE NEW YORK PORT OF EMBARKATION (POE), PASSED TO THE SOUTH OF ICELAND EN ROUTE, AND AFTER SOME 14 DAYS AT SEA, ARRIVED AT BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND IN THE SPRING OF 1943. ASSIGNED TO THE 307TH AIRBORNE MEDICAL COMPANY, STATIONED AT A STAGING BASE NEAR BIRMINGHAM, ALTHOUGH HE HAD NO PRIOR MEDICAL TRAINING OR EDUCATION. SERVED OVERSEAS IN COMBAT, AS A MEDIC IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO). THE 307TH AIRBORNE MEDICAL COMPANY WAS PART OF THE 82ND AIRBORNE ‘ALL AMERICAN’ DIVISION AND SUPPORTED THE 325TH GLIDER INFANTRY REGIMENT, WHICH WAS ALSO ASSIGNED TO THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION. HE BELIEVES HE WAS MERELY APPOINTED TO BE A MEDIC AND RECEIVED LITTLE MEDICAL TRAINING UNTIL AFTER HIS ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND, WHERE HE WAS TAUGHT TO BIND UP BROKEN ARMS AND LEGS. SUBSEQUENT TRAINING WAS BASICALLY ON-THE-JOB TRAINING. AS A MEDIC, HE AND OTHERS RECEIVED GLIDER TRAINING IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND. HE WAS NOT ARMED, BUT AT TIMES IN COMBAT FELT AS THOUGH HE SHOULD BE. FORTUNATELY, HIS UNIFORM WAS MARKED BY A LARGE RED CROSS ON A WHITE BACKGROUND. AT ABOUT 3:00 A.M. ON D-DAY, HE LOADED ON A CG4A ‘WACO’ GLIDER IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND, WHICH WAS TOWED BY CABLE, BY A C-46 ‘COMMANDO’ TRANSPORT PLANE, OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, TO FRENCH LANDING SITES. HE WAS 19 YEARS OLD WHEN HIS GLIDER WAS IN THE FIRST WAVE OF THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION GLIDER INFANTRY TO AIR ASSAULT NORMANDY, FRANCE BEHIND UTAH BEACH ON THE CARENTAN PENINSULA, ABOUT DAYLIGHT ON JUNE 6, 1944. HE SERVED IN NORMANDY, INCLUDING AT THE TOWN OF STE-MERE-EGLISE. HIS DIVISION WAS ASSIGNED TO VII CORPS (USA) FOR THE D-DAY INVASION. ONCE THE GLIDER PILOT CUT THE TOW LINE, THE DECENT WAS SILENT EXCEPT FOR OUTSIDE GUNFIRE UNTIL LANDING ON SKIDS, WITHOUT BRAKES. THEIR PILOT ATTEMPTED TO AVOID GERMAN BURIED TELEPHONE POLES IN THE LANDING ZONES, DESIGNED TO TEAR WINGS OFF LANDING AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS PARTIALLY SUCCESSFUL AND ALTHOUGH THEIR WINGS WERE TORN OFF DURING THE LANDING, HE AND THE OTHER 12 MEN ABOARD THE GLIDER LANDED ‘SAFELY’ AND RAN AWAY FROM THE GLIDER TO SEEK COVER, AFTER WHAT HE CALLED A ‘CONTROLLED CRASH.’ HIS GLIDER LANDED IN A SWAMPY, HALF-FLOODED FIELD, CRISS-CROSSED BY SMALL CANALS AND DITCHES. HE AND OTHERS IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO GATHER LIMITED SUPPLIES AND TREAT MEN INJURED IN OTHER GLIDER CRASHES AND IN COMBAT ACTION. HIS IMMEDIATE DUTIES INCLUDED TREATING SOLDIERS, CONSOLIDATING PATIENTS, AND THEN MOVING WOUNDED AND INJURED FROM THE BATTLEFIELD TO STAGING (COLLECTION) SITES FOR FURTHER EVACUATION. HIS MOTIVATION AT THE TIME WAS TO DO HIS JOB AND SURVIVE TO HELP OTHERS LIVE. DESPITE THE WIDE DISPERSAL OF THE 307TH AIRBORNE MEDICAL COMPANY AFTER LANDINGS, HE AND OTHERS FROM HIS COMPANY ESTABLISHED THE FIRST SMALL CLEARING STATION ABOUT MIDNIGHT ON D-DAY FOR TRIAGE OF WOUNDED AND STAGING OF SOLDIERS FOR MEDICAL EVACUATION. HIS COLLECTION SITES AND THE CLEARING STATION WERE NEVER MORE THAN 2-3 MILES FROM THE FRONT LINES AND INITIALLY ON THE FRONT. DURING COLLECTION OF WOUNDED, MEDICS WERE SUBJECTED TO BOTH ENEMY AND FRIENDLY ARTILLERY FIRE AND WERE UNDER CONSTANT ENEMY DIRECT FIRE, INCLUDING FROM SNIPERS. WITHIN A MONTH OF THEIR INVASION, HE AND OTHER MEDICS CLEARED OVER 4,200 CASUALTIES. AFTER NORMANDY, HE AND OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS COMPANY MOVED BY TRUCK CONVOY UP THE COAST TO HOLLAND, REJOINED OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS COMPANY, AND ASSAULTED NIJMEGEN, HOLLAND ON SEPTEMBER 17, 1944. HE SERVED AT NIJMEGEN NEAR THE GRAVE BRIDGE OVER THE MAAS RIVER DURING OPERATION MARKET-GARDEN. THE COMPANY RELOCATED AND ARRIVED AT SISSONNE, FRANCE ON NOVEMBER 17, 1944, AND DEPARTED ON DECEMBER 18, 1944, BY CONVOY. HIS UNIT ENTERED BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 19, 1944, AND FOUGHT THERE DURING THE GERMAN ARDENNES COUNTEROFFENSIVE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE). THE 82ND DIVISION ATTACKED IN THE VIELSALM-SAINT VITH REGION IN BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 20, 1944, UNTIL RETIRING ON DECEMBER 25, 1944, DUE TO VIGOROUS GERMAN ASSAULTS. HIS COMPANY MOVED TO CHEVRON, BELGIUM ON DECEMBER 26, 1944. HE RECALLS HEARING AND SEEING GERMAN V-1 BUZZ BOMBS FLYING OVERHEAD WHILE THERE. THE WEATHER IN THE ARDENNES WAS BRUTAL THAT WINTER WITH FOG, DEEP SNOW, AND FRIGID TEMPERATURES. THE LARGE GENEVA CROSS ON HIS UNIFORM AND ON THE ‘JEEP’ HE WAS IN, SAVED HIS LIFE DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE WHILE HE WAS GATHERING WOUNDED, PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE AND SAVING LIVES DURING THE INTENSE GROUND COMBAT. AS THE JEEP HE WAS USING TO TRANSPORT THE WOUNDED ROUNDED A CURVE IN A FORWARD AREA, IT WAS FACED BY A GERMAN TANK. HE WAS EXPECTING TO BE FIRED ON BUT A GERMAN OFFICER OPENED THE TOP HATCH AND LOOKED THEM OVER. SEEING THAT THEY WERE MARKED AS MEDICAL SOLDIERS, AND CARRYING WOUNDED, HE WAVED THE JEEP AWAY. THE AMERICAN DRIVER IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED AND THEY SPED AWAY TOWARD FRIENDLY LINES. WHEN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE ENDED, HIS COMPANY MOVED TO HAUTE-BODEUX, BELGIUM, WHERE ALL THE PRIVATES IN THE COMPANY WERE PROMOTED TO PRIVATE FIRST CLASS. THE COMPANY DISPLACED ON JANUARY 26, 1945, FROM CHEVRON TO LIGNEUVILLE, BELGIUM. COLLECTION AND EVACUATION WAS VERY DIFFICULT IN THIS AREA BECAUSE OF THE HILLY, FORESTED TERRAIN, LACK OF VEHICLES ABLE TO OPERATE IN SNOW, ICE AND MUD, FEW ROADS, AND BAD WEATHER. HIS UNIT ENTERED GERMANY ON JANUARY 30, 1945, AND RETURNED TO SISSONNE, FRANCE ON FEBRUARY 19, 1945, FOR REHABILITATION. THE COMPANY ARRIVED AT COLOGNE, GERMANY ON APRIL 2, 1945, AND SERVED ALONG THE RHINE RIVER IN GERMANY AND THEN PERFORMED DUTIES IN COLOGNE, GERMANY UNTIL ABOUT APRIL 25, 1945. THE COMPANY DISPLACED A NUMBER OF TIMES TO KEEP PACE WITH THE ALLIED DRIVE ACROSS GERMANY. HE ARRIVED AT LUDWIGSLUST, GERMANY ABOUT MAY 4, 1945, SOME 3 DAYS BEFORE THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT UNCONDITIONALLY SURRENDERED. THERE, HE HELPED CARE FOR PRISONERS AT THE NEARBY WOBBELIN CONCENTRATION CAMP, THAT THE DIVISION LIBERATED ON MAY 2, 1945. HE RECALLS THAT THE PRISONERS LOOKED LIKE SKELETONS AND WERE EXTREMELY WEAK. SOME 300 PRISONERS, ALIVE AND DEAD, WERE KEPT IN A FILTHY BARN IN THE CAMP. A TOTAL OF 169 OF THE CAMP’S DEAD PRISONERS WERE BURIED IN A PARK IN LUDWIGSLUST. HE, OTHER ALLIES, AND THE TOWN’S GERMAN POPULATION THAT WAS FORCED TO MOVE TO THE PARK, ATTENDED A FUNERAL SERVICE. THE GERMANS ALSO WERE REQUIRED TO WALK THROUGH THE GRAVESITE AND THE CAMP TO WITNESS GERMANY’S ATROCIOUS CONCENTRATION CAMP ACTIVITIES. AFTER GERMANY SURRENDERED TO THE ALLIES ON MAY 7, 1945, WITH THE SURRENDER TO BECOME EFFECTIVE AT MIDNIGHT ON MAY 8, 1945. THE ALLIED VICTORY IN EUROPE (V-E DAY) WAS ANNOUNCED ON MAY 8, 1945. HIS COMPANY MOVED TO BERLIN, GERMANY ON AUGUST 7, 1945, TO SERVE WITH OCCUPATION FORCES. HE AND OTHER MEDICS WORKED AT DISPENSARIES IN A DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP AND IN A WAR CRIMINALS CAMP. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE NORMANDY, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE, AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS, AND WITH OCCUPATION FORCES, AT ZEHLENDORF, BERLIN, GERMANY AFTER THE END OF THE WAR. AWARDED THE GLIDER BADGE FOR A COMBAT GLIDER LANDING INTO ENEMY-HELD TERRITORY, COMBAT MEDICAL BADGE FOR ASSIGNMENT TO A MEDICAL UNIT OF COMPANY SIZE ORGANIC TO AN INFANTRY UNIT IN ACTIVE GROUND COMBAT, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE SERVICE STARS (4 CAMPAIGNS) AND 1 BRONZE ARROWHEAD DEVICE FOR A COMBAT GLIDER LANDING, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION IN COMBAT AT STE-MERE-EGLISE, THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH PALM FOR DIVISION ACTION AT STE-MERE-EGLISE, THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE WITH PALM FOR DIVISION ACTION ON THE COTENTIN PENINSULA, AND THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE FOURRAGERE FOR HIS DIVISION BEING AWARDED THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE TWICE. AUTHORIZED THE BELGIAN FOURRAGERE 1940, FOR THE DIVISION BEING CITED TWICE IN THE ORDER OF THE DAY OF THE BELGIAN ARMY FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY IN COMBAT IN THE ARDENNES AND AGAIN IN BELGIUM AND GERMANY. AUTHORIZED THE NETHERLANDS ORANGE LANYARD FOR HIS DIVISION BEING CITED AND AWARDED THE MILITARY ORDER OF WILLIAM, DEGREE OF THE KNIGHT OF THE FOURTH CLASS, FOR ACTION AT NIJMEGEN IN 1944. HIS COMPANY WAS ALSO AWARDED THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AND OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF DUTY IN THE INITIAL D-DAY NORMANDY GLIDER ASSAULT AND ESTABLISHMENT OF A CLEARING STATION AND EVACUATION OF MORE THAN 500 CASUALTIES FROM AID STATIONS IN 24 HOURS. AFTER BEING RELIEVED OF OCCUPATION DUTIES, THE DIVISION MOVED BY SHIP ABOARD THE ‘QUEEN MARY’ ON DECEMBER 29, 1945, TO THE NEW YORK POE ON JANUARY 3, 1946, AND THEN TO FORT BRAGG ON JANUARY 16, 1946. HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED AT FORT BRAGG IN JANUARY, 1946, WITH THE RANK OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.