William Lafayette Miller Jr
MilitaryC. 1943
Perosnal Collection
Trained as a Flight Engineer at Shepard Field during Early-Mid 1943. Left with his crew from Labrador in Nov 1943. Thief stole his 25 cartons of Lucky Strikes during a raid on the crew’s luggage while under armed guard at Nutt’s Corner. While at The Wash for additional gunnery training, him and Chuck Dubock (BTG) each won £300 (uninflated value) after a 3 to 4 hour Craps game. He sent most of it home. First crew of Irene A and flew 35 missions from April-July 1944 and was back in the U.S before September. Left the AAF due to uncertainty of keeping rank during dembolization with the rank of TSGT and 3 years in. 1954, reenlisted in the Reserves after talking with a unit that held meetings at his Post Office in Quincy. He was reinstated as a SSGT. By 1955, he was back at TSGT. Learned of the Outstanding Airman’s Commisoning Program which commissioned 25 men per year nationwide. Same exam as the Air Force Academy Entrance Exam. He was commissioned as a Captain, and retired as a Major. All his brothers enlisted and served. He was still the most highly decorated and highest ranking in his family. Was quite proud of this and his service.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Irene A
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Lawrence, KS, USA | 5 September 1924 | Eldest son of Effie and William Miller. Brother to Wesley, Donald, Lloyd, Glenn, and Robert |
Enlisted |
881 McClellan Ave, Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027, USA | 2 December 1942 | Lies about age saying he was 19. Following the footsteps of his father in the Great War |
Died |
Quincy, IL, USA | 2 November 1996 |