Harvey "Bill" Miller was from Franklin County, Missouri. He was born January 6, 1911. He was a left waist gunner of the Onda Ball B-17 Flying Fortress. He participated in several bombing runs on strategic targets during his enlistment. He was a Staff Sergeant during his time with the crew of the Onda Ball.



Miller was captured by Germans after his B-17 "Onda Ball" was shot over Schweinfurt while on a bombing mission of a ball bearing factory. This day was known as "Black Thursday" because 77 bombers were destroyed. Miller was held captive at Stalag XVII-B near Krems, Austria. He and the surviving prisoners would have been killed by the German soldiers, but the soldiers ignored the order because the war was almost over. They were instead marched to another POW camp where they were liberated by marching Americans.



Miller later returned home and became the longest serving sheriff in the history of Franklin County, Missouri. He had a nice piece of land in rural Franklin County outside of St. Clair. The property was frequently call the Mount Hope Farm. He lived next door to family. He insisted that everyone who lived on both pieces of land be able to defend themselves with firearms due to the many threats he received from those whom he had arrested and sent to jail. He taught everyone how to shoot and survive.



He married Marvella and they lived together until he passed away at his home in rural Franklin County on October 20, 1991. He was buried across the road at the Mount Hope Cemetery.