Arthur, Charles, and Thomas Miller: The Miller Brothers

By David Adams, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interview Volunteer

Arthur “Arty”, Charles “Charlie”, and Thomas “Tom” Miller grew up in a family of eleven on the Southside of Chicago. They had two younger brothers and six sisters.  As fate would have it, all three graduated from high school in the mid-1960s with the draft nipping at their heels.  One by one they accepted their fate and were inducted into the Army in October 1966, January 1967, and June 1967, respectively, and served essentially around the globe. 

One would not be surprised to learn that the Miller family has a history of military service. Younger brother Danny joined the Army Reserves in the early ‘70s. Several of their brothers-in-law served in the Marine Corps.  One at age 17, with his parents’ permission, joined the Army Air Corps during World War II.  He flew as a bombardier in a B-17 completing 36 missions flying from a base in England. 

Here is “the rest of the Miller Brothers’ story”.

Arthur R. “Arty” Miller

Born in Chicago in December 1943, Arty spent one year at De La Salle high school located in the Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.  He completed high school at St. Francis Brothers School in Mt. Carmel, Wisconsin, a school of the Capuchin Order. Arty was intending to become a Brother. He graduated in 1962 after which he attended St. Norbert’s College, De Pere, Wisconsin for a time. Arty held a variety of jobs before being drafted in 1966.

His induction into the Army in October 1966 paved the way for Basic Training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  Instead of obtaining Advance Infantry Training (AIT) he headed to Fort Knox with the MOS of 71B30 Clerk Typist. Assigned to HHC, 5th Battalion, 33rd Armor he admirably performed his duties until his discharge in October 1969.  Within Headquarters he worked in S-3 Air which was in charge of operational planning and training for the battalion.  Arty remembers that working in headquarters he pulled no guard duty for which he said he was “blessed”!

During his tour at Fort Knox both brothers Charlie and Tom got draft notices and entered the Army in January and June 1967.  They were vulnerable for orders to Vietnam.  Arty did get orders to Vietnam but, as referenced below, Charlie got his orders first. Therefore, Arty stayed at Fort Knox. 

The Army encouraged Arty to “re-up”.  His parents remarked, “why not stay in?” No deal!  He received a letter of appreciation from the Chief of S-3 Air for his service at Fort Knox.  In pertinent part it states: “Seldom was there a day when your interest in the welfare of those around you (sic) [was] not evidenced by your actions.  Your continous (sic) to please and to assist in every way possible was a constant source of pride. Your ability to understand the intricacies of an S-3 shop was also truly remarkable, as you were often called upon to do work above and beyond that which would normally be expected.” He received an Honorable Discharge as an E-5 in October 1969 after three years’ service with no regrets whatsoever. 

For a couple of years after returning home to Chicago, Arty worked several jobs including ones at a trucking company, District 1 of the Chicago Police Department, and Merrill Lynch. He eventually joined the Heat and Frost Insulators, Local 17 in 1978, which is now called “the original green energy specialists”. Arty retired after 25 years in this trade in 2004 but did not sit on his hands for long. He served as church custodian at St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr for fourteen years from 2007 to 2021.  He was been married for 45 years with one son and a grandson. He and all of the Miller clan are very close and enjoy each other’s company. Indeed, his son Art will be his guardian on the Honor Flight.

Charles Vincent “Charlie” Miller

His older brother went to De La Salle high school for a year. Charlie, rather, graduated from De La Salle, in the class of 1966.  Sure enough he got his draft notice and was inducted into the Army on January 16, 1967.  Basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina was followed by eight weeks of AIT.  Trained as a basic infantry soldier his MOS was 11B20. He received orders to the 3rd Battalion 36th Infantry at Kirch-Göns, Germany for what should have been a 18-month tour. Germany, he remarks, was not “a good fit” and it was “too cold”.  He requested a reassignment to Vietnam on July 6, 1967.

Processing his request took several months.  His volunteering for Vietnam occurred before his brothers got their orders to Vietnam.  The Army granted his request. He got his orders in February 1968, was home for a month, and then flew to Vietnam.  He arrived in-country on March 15, 1968 at the tail end of the Tet Offensive.  He joined C company, 2nd battalion of 14th Infantry. It’s base camp, Cu Chi, was located about 30 miles northwest of Saigon. The regiment operated close to and within the Iron Triangle.  This area just north of Cu Chi was an active organizing center for the Viet Cong throughout the war and was laced with tunnels and underground military facilities.

As an infantry soldier he found himself “in the field all of the time”.  He carried a mix of weapons but principally the M-16 and claymore mines.  He recalls more than one significant operation. During one the company had settled in for the night and set up its defenses.   Spaced around the perimeter of the camp were pairs soldiers at more or less even intervals.  In the middle of the night “Charlie” attacked.  The company’s machine gunner turned his weapon around 180 degrees from facing outward to fire across camp at the attackers and just over the heads of the company.  The Lieutenant cried, “stop, stop shooting”. Whether machine gun fire drove off the enemy is uncertain although the engagement did not result in casualties.

Charlie and C company received an early morning surprise at a night ambush site. They found themselves, upon waking in daylight, in the middle of and on top of a vacated enemy base camp 30 kilometers northwest of Saigon.  According to reputable after-action reports what they found were an underground fire direction center (FDC) for engaging American and South Vietnam forces, a large underground hospital, a Viet Cong mess hall and a storage area for explosives.  In addition 200 pounds of explosives, an AK47 assault rifle, a 75mm recoilless cartridge, 3 RPG-2 rockets, 2 boosters, 50 rounds of small arms ammunition, an anti-tank mine, food, clothing and numerous documents were found. An outstanding success without a shot being fired!

August 9, 1968.  On this date Charlie engaged in his final combat operation after only four and a half months in-country.  Advancing through rice paddies the company came under enemy fire.  Everyone took cover, most in shallow water.  Charlie remembers that a Huey helicopter gunship engaged the enemy who were believed to be in the tree line surrounding the rice paddies.  As the Huey circled the paddy, the door gunner fired his 50 caliber machine gun toward the American troops including Charlie. He caught a round in his left foot. Hit by friendly fire and pinned down by the enemy, he had to wait two hours for the “Dust-off” med evac chopper to fly him and a couple of other wounded to a MASH. On board the chopper and after lifting off, he heard the “plink, plink” sounds of rounds hitting the chopper’s lower fuselage where he was lying. “Oh no, I thought I was in a safe place.”

Arriving at a MASH, Charlie was prepped for surgery.  Lying on a gurney, covered only by a sheet, the Chaplain approached him intending to give him Last Rites.  Charlie said, “I don’t need that!”  The Chaplain replied, “We do it for everyone.” Charlie suffered the near “loss of left little toe, and open fracture of left, fourth metatarsal” according to his medical records.  The Army surgeon asked if he wanted the toe “on or off?”  “On”, he replied.  Charlie instructed the Army not to inform his mother of the nature of his wounds. He would do that himself.

He spent four months in rehabilitation: first a week in the 249th General Hospital, Camp Drake, Japan followed by skin graft medical treatment and extensive rehabilitation at Fort Riley, Kansas.  When he arrived back “in the world” in August, he had only his dog tags around his neck and none of his personal gear.  What he carried into that last battle stayed in the rice paddies and his other gear at Cu Chi.  Charlie received an Honorable Discharge as an E-4 on November 27, 1968 with the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Purple Heart, Vietnam Service Medal and Sharpshooter (Rifle). He says “I was glad to have had the opportunity to serve my country.”

Back home Charlie joined the same Heat and Frost Insulators, Local 17 in which his big brother Arty would eventually work.  He proudly served 43 years from 1970 to 2013 lauded for “untiring effort and dedication to our craft” at his retirement.  He has been married for 48 years and has two daughters and two grandsons.  When asked if he has a hobby he replies, “My hobby is vacuuming  and I have multiple vacuums that each has a name!”  More seriously he says “the most important thing is family”. He loves to spend time with his wife, kids, grandkids, brothers, sisters, and nieces and nephews. Not the least, he loves old westerns – Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Rifleman, and, of course, John Wayne!