FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Lewis L Millett ~ 19 February 2018

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Lewis L. Millett
Story from this website.

           

Lewis Lee Millett, Sr. (December 15, 1920 – November 14, 2009) was a United States Army officer who was awarded the Medal of Honor during the Korean War for leading the last major American bayonet charge.


  Early life

Millett was born on December 15, 1920, in Mechanic Falls, Maine. He grew up in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, having moved there with his mother after his parents divorced and his mother remarried. His great-grandfather had served in the American Civil War and an uncle fought in World War I with the 101st Field Artillery Regiment of the Massachusetts Army National Guard.


  World War II

While still attending high school in Dartmouth, he enlisted in the Massachusetts National Guard and in 1938 joined his uncle's old regiment, the 101st Field Artillery. In 1940, he joined in the United States Army Air Corps and entered gunnery school. When it appeared that the U.S. would not enter World War II, Millett, eager to fight, deserted in mid-1941. With a friend who had received a bad conduct discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps, Millett hitchhiked to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Army. Assigned to the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, he was sent to the United Kingdom, where he served as an anti-aircraft radar operator in London during the Blitz. By the time he arrived in the United Kingdom, the U.S. had entered the war; Millett transferred to the U.S. Army in 1942.

Assigned to the 27th Armored Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Millett served in Tunisia as an anti-tank gunner. During an engagement there, he drove a burning ammunition-filled half-track away from Allied soldiers, jumping to safety just before it exploded. For this action, he was awarded the U.S. military's third-highest decoration, the Silver Star. He later shot down a Messerschmitt Me-109 fighter plane using half-track mounted machine guns.

Millett, by then a sergeant, next took part in the Allied invasion of Italy at Salerno and the subsequent Battle of Anzio. It was at this time that the U.S. Army discovered Millet's 1941 desertion; he was court-martialed, convicted, ordered to pay a $52 fine, and stripped of his leave privileges. Only weeks later, he was given a battlefield commission to second lieutenant.


  Korean War

After World War II, Millett attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, for three years before being called up to serve in Korea. Over a decade later, in the 1960s, he earned a bachelor's degree from Park College (now known as Park University) in Missouri.

By February 7, 1951, Millett was serving in Korea as a captain and commander of Company E of the 27th Infantry Regiment. On that day, near Soam-Ni, he led his company in an assault on an enemy position atop Hill 180. When one platoon became pinned down by heavy fire, Millett took another platoon forward, joined the two groups, and led them up the hill. Wielding his bayonet and throwing hand grenades, Millett yelled encouragement to his soldiers throughout the hand to hand fight. Upon reaching the top of the hill, his men stormed the enemy position and forced the opposing soldiers to withdraw. Although wounded in the shin by grenade fragments, Millett refused to be evacuated until the position was secured.

For his leadership during the assault, Millett was awarded the Medal of Honor. The medal was formally presented to him by President Harry S. Truman in July 1951. He was also awarded the Army's second-highest decoration, the Distinguished Service Cross, for leading another bayonet charge in the same month.


  Vietnam War

After the Korean War, Millett attended Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division as an intelligence officer and later served in Vietnam as a military advisor to the controversial Phoenix Program, which aimed to root out and kill Viet Cong sympathizers. He also helped found a "Recondo" (reconnaissance-commando) school to train small units for service in Vietnam. In the mid-1960s, he commanded the Army Security Agency training center at Fort Devens, Massachusetts.

Millett retired from the military in 1973 at the rank of colonel. He later stated that he retired because he felt the U.S. had "quit" in Vietnam.


  Later years and family

After his military career, Millett worked as a deputy sheriff in Trenton, Tennessee. He eventually moved to Idyllwild, California, where he would remain for the rest of his life. He regularly appeared at events celebrating veterans, both in the Riverside County area and elsewhere around the country.

Millett married Virginia Young; the couple later divorced. His second marriage was to Winona Williams, with whom he had four children: Lewis Lee Jr., John, Timothy, and Elizabeth. His son John, a staff sergeant in the Army, was among more than 240 U.S. military members killed in 1985 when their airplane, Arrow Air Flight 1285, crashed in Gander, Newfoundland, while carrying them home from peacekeeping duty in the Middle East. Millett's wife Winona died in 1993.

Millett died of congestive heart failure on November 14, 2009, one month short of his 89th birthday. He died at the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center in Loma Linda, California, after being hospitalized four days earlier. He had experienced various health problems over the last few years of his life, including diabetes. His funeral will be held on December 5 at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.


  Awards and honors

Millett's military awards include the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, two Legion of Merits, three Bronze Stars, four Purple Hearts, and three Air Medals.

At Osan Air Base in South Korea, "Millett Road" is named after Colonel Millett running up Hill 180, the hill where he led the legendary bayonet charge.

In 2009, a park in San Jacinto, California, was named in honor of Millett.

Millett's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

    Capt. Millett, Company E, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. While personally leading his company in an attack against a strongly held position he noted that the 1st Platoon was pinned down by small-arms, automatic, and antitank fire. Capt. Millett ordered the 3d Platoon forward, placed himself at the head of the 2 platoons, and, with fixed bayonet, led the assault up the fire-swept hill. In the fierce charge Capt. Millett bayoneted 2 enemy soldiers and boldly continued on, throwing grenades, clubbing and bayoneting the enemy, while urging his men forward by shouting encouragement. Despite vicious opposing fire, the whirlwind hand-to-hand assault carried to the crest of the hill. His dauntless leadership and personal courage so inspired his men that they stormed into the hostile position and used their bayonets with such lethal effect that the enemy fled in wild disorder. During this fierce onslaught Capt. Millett was wounded by grenade fragments but refused evacuation until the objective was taken and firmly secured. The superb leadership, conspicuous courage, and consummate devotion to duty demonstrated by Capt. Millett were directly responsible for the successful accomplishment of a hazardous mission and reflect the highest credit on himself and the heroic traditions of the military service.

Thank you sir, for your service and sacrifice for our country!

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

[radu]

Great! Even a little rain to tamp down the dust helps. Wish we could send some of ours your way. It’s starting to get squishy here and we could use a couple of rainless days to dry out.

At least Ghost is making daily appearances for the most part. His foot must feel much better now since he feels up to wandering.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[mylife]

73s

[radu]

Chiropractors can help a lot. It does feel good to get the back aligned properly, plus they can give you some exercises to do that will help keep the muscles toned up.
Just check around before you choose one. Ask people you know who have been to one to be sure you get a good one. Most ARE good but there are some quacks out there who do more harm than good.

I wish the one I went to in Raleigh would move here. That man was a miracle worker.

Yuck! It’s been pretty nice up there for a while and that cold is gonna HURT!

We have a nice week ahead temperature-wise but the rain will take some of the fun out of it.

[larryjohnson]

From a health site:
45north wrote on February 17, 2018 - 8:33pm Permalink
Downhill skiing gets you hurt below the waist. Snowboarding gets you hurt above the waist. Speed kills. Hockey gets you hurt all over. Curling causes neuron wasting disease. Nordic skiing is pretty safe as is snowshoeing. Practical too for those of us who live in snow country. “Surfing” Free Republic is the safest winter sport by far.

[mylife]

Lewis looks like a
good ol boy

[luvie]

I just hope we continue to have even a little bit. It all adds up and what we got will wash the dust from everything. I’m already breathing better. LOL!

I don’t even try to analyze why Ghost comes or not. He’s a totally independent kitty and I guess he’s going to show up or not whenever he decides! He’s been on his own for too long to keep schedules the way I’d like them. :) I’m just glad when he does. His foot does seem like it’s about back to normal. Now if his poor ol’ chewed up looking ears would heal, I’d be happy.

[luvie]

Now?

[luvie]

Now?

[luvie]

Now?

[TADSLOS]

Total Stud.

[PROCON]

LOL, well said, Larry. I have had zero injuries "surfing" FR. 😀😀😀

[radu]

It sure would be nice if you could get a little each day. I can’t imagine being stuck with all that dust every day. Makes the ol’ sinuses throb to think about it.
Glad to hear you’re able to breathe better at the moment. Has to be a huge relief.

Good to know that foot has healed up. We had a couple of cats get bites on their feet and the infection went into the bone. Both fellers had to have a toe amputated.

[radu]

WOOHOO! Now, it was? #50!

[luvie]

Well, if he did need an amputation, he’d have to do it himself. There’s no way I could get him to a vet. But he’s a tough ol’ boy!

The chance of rain is gone for tonight. Guess we’ll have to see what comes next. We didn’t even get enough to measure. :(

[radu]

His being wild is why I’m glad his foot healed so well. He’d have been in serious trouble otherwise.

It looks like our rain is through for the night too. I haven’t stepped out to see how much we got but it wasn’t a whole lot. Just enough to keep things soggy.
Tomorrow is supposed to be nice with temps in the mid 70s and Tues. will be even better. They’re calling for 80 degrees then! Minimal rain chances both days so it will be nice to get out and about. I’ll do the weekly grocery shopping Tues. since Wed. will be a washout. Can’t stand dragging wet groceries into the house.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hi larry....you still in Florida? Snow?

I think you are right...surfing FR is safe. LOL!

[Kathy in Alaska]

wh!!

Luv.....#50!!

[luvie]

I’m glad you’re caught up on rain but now the warm days can have a chance to dry things out a bit so the ground isn’t too soggy. That’s an awful feeling walking on squishy grass that feels like a wet sponge.

I’ll bet the kittehs will be very happy to get out, too. Get some “real” air for a change. Mine are enjoying the warmer nights. However that will change, so they say, on Wednesday when it gets colder again.

Up and down, up and down, rinse and repeat. LOL!

[MoochPooch]

Evening, Kathy. I get so nostalgic reading about these heroes.