FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Lewis L Millett ~ 16 January 2023

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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]

Hey there, Kathy.

The first round of rain is just starting to move into west TN and we’ll get a dose sometime tomorrow. We have a few waves moving through between now and Thursday.
I imagine the wells are in good shape at this point.

Not much of a warm-up today but the next 7 days will be in the 50s and 60s.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Knee issues are no fun at all. Being extra cautious all the time is a pain, but falling is worse.

Hope the doc can pinpoint the issue, and then fix it.

[E.G.C.]

We had a great visit to the lake and enjoyed our supper from Sonic yesterday. I'm hoping to hear from the Ford place sometime this week regarding a new battery cable.

[luvie]

I do, too, Kathy. I was relieved when I heard that the x-rays didn’t find any damage done from the 2 falls I had in December. Thank goodness, they were both on carpet. The most painful part was the carpet burn. LOL!

Keep your fingers crossed. I’ll let y’all know what he says.

[radu]

Braces are an aggravation but you should have been wearing it all along to help your knee heal. I used to have trouble with my left knee once in a while when I was younger and when it would mess up, I’d wear a brace for a couple of weeks. I hated it but it did the job. For some reason, when I hit 40, the knee stopped going out and am I ever happy about that! LOL

I hope they don’t find anything serious when you go in Friday.

[luvie]

Howdy, EGC! Glad y'all had fun at the lake. Fingers crossed that you get that battery all fixed up once and for all. This is the cutest picture of Gizmo!

[radu]

I guess the fog bank I saw wasn’t as widespread as it appeared. It sure was thick though. Whoever was in it couldn’t see much, I’d say.

Poor ducks. That owl must have scared them bad if they still aren’t coming to eat. :-(

[radu]

Oops! Forgot.

It was sunny today but now we have 4 days of rainy weather ahead. Might get a little sunshine during breaks between the waves of rain. At least it’ll be warm.

[radu]

Glad you two had a good time.

I hope they can get a battery cable for you soon.

[radu]

Mine. :-)

[luvie]

I know I should wear it more, but the one I have pinches the back of my knee and it’s painful. I also fear that it could harm my circulation in my leg. I’m ordering one that is open on the back and over the knee cap itself.

Thanks....I hope they don’t find something serious...OR that they don’t want to do some surgery. That is a great fear of mine.

I think I’ll finish this show and go to sleep. Early mornings are a pain...as I know you know. :) See ya tomorrow!

[luvie]

LOL! I thought I would get it! But...WOOHOO! :)

[radu]

At this point, it might be better to wait until you see the doctor before ordering another brace. Let him pick out the type you need since he’ll, hopefully, be able to find out what’s really going on in there. Do whatever he tells you to do so that knee can get better.

Get a good night’s sleep and sleep late. :-)

[radu]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS)...man, still waiting for that battery cable?

How hard should it be for the Ford dealer to get a new one?

Looks like Gizmo had a great time and lots of adventures.

You boys have a fun Monday outing.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Wait! Don’t order a brace until the doc sees what the issue is...different braces are used for different problems.

[left that other site]

The knees still hurt, and now it’s snowing. Tippy loves the snow. I do NOT. However, I plan on spending the day practicing my bass, because I am going to be using it with my guitar students in the recital.

[SkyDancer]

Good Morning Kathy! (((HUGS))) - weather has been rain rain rain so nobody’s jumping unless it’s over puddles. So far no mud slides in my area but further on down the highway there are that closes it for a few hours while crews clean up.

[nuconvert]

Wow. What a life! What a hero !

[ExTexasRedhead]

Hitler’s Prison & The World’s Most EVIL Cemetery Plot | History Traveler Episode 266

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWsf-7SAZaM

In this episode, we’re venturing over to the city of Landsberg to look at the prison where he was held which later served as the final stop for a number of convicted war criminals of WWII. Along with that, we’re exploring a cemetery that may very well hold the highest concentration of evil men of any cemetery plot in the world.