Virgil R. Miller

Infobox Military Person
name=Virgil Rasmuss Miller
born= birth date|1900|11|11
died= death date and age|1968|8|5|1900|11|11
placeofbirth=San German, Puerto Rico
placeofdeath=Ann Arbor, Michigan
placeofburial=


caption=Colonel Virgil R. Miller Led the 442nd in its rescue of the Lost Texas Battalion
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch=
serviceyears= 1920–1954
rank=Colonel
commands=442nd Regimental Combat Team
unit=
battles=World War II *The Battle of Bruyeres *Rome-Amo *North Apennines *Po Valley Campaign
awards=Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star (2)
laterwork=
Colonel Virgil Rasmuss Miller (November 11, 1900 – August 5, 1968) was a United States Army officer who served as Regimental Commander of the 442d Regimental Combat Team (RCT), a unit which was composed of "Nisei" (second generation Americans of Japanese descent), during World War II. He led the 442nd in its rescue of the Lost Texas Battalion of the 36th Infantry Division, in the forests of the Vosges Mountains in northeastern France.

Early years

Virgil Miller was born in San German, Puerto Rico, which is located on the western coast of the island.cite journal
url=http://digital-library.usma.edu/libmedia/archives/assembly/vol28no2.pdf
format=PDF
publisher=Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy
title=Be Thou at Peace: Virgil Rasmus Miller, Class of 1924
pages=132-133
volume=28 |issue=2
journal=Assembly
date=Summer 1969
year=1969] In 1915, his family moved to San Juan, the capital city of the island, when his father Dr. Paul Gerard Miller, was appointed Commissioner of Education, a position which the senior Miller held until 1921.cite web|accessdate
url=http://newdeal.feri.org/pr/pr07.htm
title=Education
work=Puerto Rico: A Guide to the Island of Boriquén
author=Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration
year=1940
publisher=The University Society, Inc.
location=New York] Miller and his siblings received their secondary education at El Caribe High School in San Juan. During World War I, he served in the Puerto Rico Home Guard, a local militia. In 1920, he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point from Arthur Yager (1858 – 1941), who served as Governor of Puerto Rico from 1913 to 1921.citation
title=Dr. Arthur Yager; Served as Governor of Puerto Rico for 8 years After 1913" (obituary)
newspaper=New York Times
date=December 25, 1941
page=25.]

Military career

Miller graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the infantry in 1924. He married Ann McGoughran the following year and in 1926 returned to Puerto Rico where he served with Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry Regiment. In 1940, he was transferred to Hawaii, where he served with 21st Infantry Brigade and 24th Infantry Division stationed on the island of Ookinaahu at Schofield Barracks.cite journal
url=http://digital-library.usma.edu/libmedia/archives/assembly/vol28no2.pdf
format=PDF
publisher=Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy
title=Be Thou at Peace: Virgil Rasmus Miller, Class of 1924
pages=132-133
volume=28 |issue=2
journal=Assembly
date=Summer 1969
year=1969]

World War II

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered the war. In June 1943, Miller was named Executive Officer of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The team included the 442d Infantry Regiment, the 522d Field Artillery Battalion, the 232d Combat Engineer Company, the 206th Army Ground Forces Band and the 100th Infantry Battalion from Hawaii's National Guard. The unit was mostly composed of Nisei, second generation Americans of Japanese ancestry who were drafted into service. Some of these men had family members who were still interned in Japanese American internment camps.cite web
url=http://www.army.mil/cmh/topics/apam/Patriots%20Under%20Fire.htm
title=Patriots Under Fire: Japanese Americans in World War II
first=Kathryn |last=Shenkle
publisher=Center of Military History, United States Army
date=May 1, 2006]

Among the campaigns in which Miller participated as either Executive Officer or Regimental Commander of the 442nd RCT were the Rome-Amo, North Apennines and Po Valley Campaigns.

The Battle of Bruyeres (Rescue of the Lost Battalion)

On October 1944, the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry of the 36th Division, made a push down a long heavily-wooded ridge that extended southeast and dominated the valley of Bruyeres, France from Biffontaine to La Houssiere. The 1st had overextended itself behind enemy lines and had been cut off by strong enemy forces. The 442nd, under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Miller, was ordered into the line of combat in an effort to relieve pressure on the 1st Battalion.cite web |url=http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb2s2004jj&doc.view=content&chunk.id=div00007&toc.depth=1&brand=calisphere&anchor.id=0 |title=Section IV: The Battle of Bruyeres - "Lost Battalion"
work=The Story of the 442nd Combat Team]

On October 26, the 442nd launched its attack and at times had to engage in hand-to-hand combat at a terrible cost of men and material. The 442nd Combat Team was badly battered and without reinforcements, however they were committed to their mission of reaching the 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry of the 36th Division which became known as the "Lost Battalion". Finally, on October 30, after five days of combat, the Combat Team made contact and rescued the men of the "Lost Battalion". The 442nd, according to its commander, Lt. Col. Miller, had lost approximately three times more men (over 800 casualties) than the 211 that were eventually saved. Because of intense German attacks, there was little time to celebrate the rescue together. The 442nd were ordered to pursue the Germans and the "Lost Battalion" men were given a hot meal and put on the lines again. 442nd Regimental Commander Colonel Charles W. Pence, was replaced by Lt. Col. Miller who was promoted to Colonel.cite web |url=http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb2s2004jj&doc.view=content&chunk.id=div00007&toc.depth=1&brand=calisphere&anchor.id=0 |title=Section IV: The Battle of Bruyeres - "Lost Battalion"
work=The Story of the 442nd Combat Team] On January 5, 1945, Miller was named Commanding Officer of Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry Regiment, but he declined the assignment on January 17 because he preferred to continue with the 442nd Combat Team.cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.valerosos.com/65thintro2.html
title=Former Commanding Officers
publisher=Puerto Rico's 65th Infantry Regiment]

The Po Valley Campaign

In April 1945, the 442nd RCT came to the aid of the 92nd Infantry Division and spearheaded a diversionary assault on the western sector of the Gothic Line on the Peninsula Base Section Staging Area at Pisa, Italy.

Field Marshall Albert Kesselring had directed the construction of fortifications, drilled out of solid rock and reinforced with concrete, in the rugged mountains of the Apennines. The German stronghold, contained machine gun nests which produced deadly interlocking fire upon the Allied forces. On April 5, 1945, Col Miller, and 3rd Battalion Commander, LtCol Alfred A. Pursall planned a pincers attack at dawn with the surprise element of an all-night climb of a convert|3000|ft|m|sing=on mountain face in the dark with full fighting gear, to get in position for an assault.

At the dawn of April 6, Miller's men proceeded on their advance, however the explosions of land mines alerted the Germans and a fierce battle followed. The Gothic Line was cracked after a full day of fighting and by the end of the day, the last ridge link, Mount Cerreta, finally fell.cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.javadc.org/po_valley_campaign.htm
title=Po Valley Campaign
publisher=Japanese American Veterans Association] Miller then led the 442nd in the capture of Mt. Fologorito, Massa, a German Naval Base at La Spezia (where they captured a submarine) and Turin.cite journal
url=http://digital-library.usma.edu/libmedia/archives/assembly/vol28no2.pdf
format=PDF
publisher=Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy
title=Be Thou at Peace: Virgil Rasmus Miller, Class of 1924
pages=132-133
volume=28 |issue=2
journal=Assembly
date=Summer 1969
year=1969]

Col. Miller relinquished his command of the 442nd on June 1945. Among the many decorations which Miller's 442nd Regimental Combat Team and its members earned were: 21 Medals of Honor, 52 Distinguished Service Crosses (including 19 Distinguished Service Crosses which were upgraded to Medals of Honor in June 2000), 1 Distinguished Service Medal, 560 Silver Stars (plus 28 Oak Leaf Clusters for a second award) and 7 Presidential Unit Citations (5 earned in one month). It is believed by many that the 422nd is the most decorated unit in U.S. military history.cite web
url=http://www.army.mil/cmh/topics/apam/Patriots%20Under%20Fire.htm
title=Patriots Under Fire: Japanese Americans in World War II
first=Kathryn |last=Shenkle
publisher=Center of Military History, United States Army
date=May 1, 2006]

At a memorial service held on May 6, 1945 for the men of the 442nd RCT, Col. Miller was quoted as saying:

"The sacrifice made by our comrades was great. We must not fail them in the fight that continues, in the fight that will be with us even when peace comes. Your task will be the harder and more arduous one, for it will extend over a longer time." [cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/nisei/index8_italy.html
title=Final Victory - the 442d RCT returns to Italy
publisher=HomeofHeroes.com]

Later years

Miller served in Italy until 1947 and then served as an Infantry advisor in Turkey. He was a Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Pennsylvania State College, Lehigh University and the University of Michigan. Miller retired from the military in 1954 and as a civilian became a Research Associate at MIT, a position which he held until his retirement in 1963.cite journal
url=http://digital-library.usma.edu/libmedia/archives/assembly/vol28no2.pdf
format=PDF
publisher=Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy
title=Be Thou at Peace: Virgil Rasmus Miller, Class of 1924
pages=132-133
volume=28 |issue=2
journal=Assembly
date=Summer 1969
year=1969]

Colonel Miller died on August 5, 1968 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. The Honor Guard carried the 422nd Regimental Colors which was sent by the 442nd Regiment from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii with the assistance of Senator Daniel K. Inouye. Miller was survived by his widow Ann, two sons William and Richard and his daughter Julia.cite journal
url=http://digital-library.usma.edu/libmedia/archives/assembly/vol28no2.pdf
format=PDF
publisher=Association of Graduates, U.S. Military Academy
title=Be Thou at Peace: Virgil Rasmus Miller, Class of 1924
pages=132-133
volume=28 |issue=2
journal=Assembly
date=Summer 1969
year=1969]

Awards and decorations

Among Miller's military awards and decorations are the following:cite web|accessdate=
url=http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor2/SS/2_WWII/indexes/army/Army-Me.html
title=U.S. Army Awards of the Silver Star for Conspicuous Gallantry in Action during World War II |publisher=Home of Heroes.com]

*
*
* w/oak leaf cluster
* w/ one battle star
* w/4 battle stars
*
*
*
*
* French Croix de Guerre w/Gold Star (France)
* Croce al Merito di Guerra (War Merit Cross) -Italy Badges:
*

ee also

*Puerto Ricans in World War II
*List of famous Puerto Ricans - Military
*German immigration to Puerto Rico

References

Further reading

*cite book
title=Just Americans: How Japanese Americans Won a War at Home and Abroad
first=Robert |last=Asahina
publsiher=Gotham
date=May 18, 2006
year=2006
isbn=1592401988
*cite book
title=Lost Battalions
first=Franz |last=Steidl
publisher=Presidio
isbn=0891417273