Text by Janet Ragland

Awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for his extraordinary heroism in combat against enemy Japanese forces while leading a platoon up a hill under heavy machine-gun attack at Mambula, Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands on December 3, 1942, First Lieutenant Jack Miller died the following day from the wounds he sustained.

The citation reads, in part, "As Commanding Officer of a platoon of Company A which had the point, First Lieutenant Miller daringly lead a flank attack on a strong enemy combat patrol engaged by his battalion at the summit of the hill. . . . .His great courage, outstanding leadership, and fearless devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.  He gallantly gave up his life in the defense of his country."  (Click the image on the right to read Lt. Miller's Navy Cross Citation)

His family was informed on December 26 by telegram.  Back at home, Carmen, at 16, had just completed her first semester at Southern Methodist University.  She remembers clearly how and when she and her parents first got news of her brother's death.  "I was having lunch that day at the Adolphus Hotel with some girlfriends," she said.  "My father's real estate office was located just across the street, and I was waiting for him to get off and come pick me up to drive home. When we got home, there was a boy’s bicycle out in front of the house. The telegram boy had gone into the house with a special delivery telegram.  He waited with my mother until we got there, because he didn’t want to leave her alone with the bad news.  People did nice things like that back then during the war."

Henry Jr. also clearly remembers getting the news.  "You don't forget things like that," he said. "I was in the army at a desert training center in the Mojave Desert of California under the command of General Patton when I got word of Jack's death.  We were on maneuvers and I got a call on an army field phone from my father telling me about Jack. I felt just such a great sense of loss.  I was able to get a few days of leave to come home and be with my family but before the end of December, we embarked for overseas."

To ease his mother's fears after losing Jack, Henry Jr. wrote two week’s worth of letters to his mother and asked an Army buddy to mail one every day or two, so she wouldn’t be aware of the fact that he was aboard ship.  "I didn't want Mother to worry about me being in danger," Henry Jr. said.  "She didn’t know I was overseas until I was in North Africa and was able to send letters home from there." Henry Jr. ended his active duty from the U.S. Army with the rank of major in December 1945, three years to the month following his brother's death.

It wasn't until a month later that the family received more information about his death in a letter from Jack's commanding officer.  In a letter dated January 2, 1943, Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson, for whom the "Carlson’s Raiders" were named, wrote, "Jack was one of my most promising officers.

(Click the above image to read Lt. Col. Evans F. Carlson's  letter to the Miller family)

On 4 December he was leader of the advance guard as we were returning from operations in enemy territory.  I was in the lead with him when we met a strong enemy unit.  Jack led his command in a flanking movement, executing the movement with his customary skill and courage.  In the course of the action he was shot by an enemy machine gunner."  "We kept him alive through the night and were carrying him into the base on the following day when we were again engaged by the enemy, necessitating a delay sufficient to fight our way through.  On the way down the mountain he passed away very quietly.  We buried him there, along side the trail. . . .Every officer and man of this outfit feels Jack's loss.  He was universally popular because of his quiet, friendly way with people and because of his able and efficient leadership. . . . Please know that your son was both a man and a hero, and that he died for a cause in which he believed.  We are all better Americans for having known him."