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]

I don’t know that we’re caught up on rain yet but it’s slowly getting there. We were awfully dry for a while so were in deficit.

The cats went outside for a while today but weren’t all that happy with the wind. Percy and Big Un came in early and the other three spent their time in spots sheltered from the wind.
They don’t wander much these days. We think the bobcat must walk around the yard and they smell it. He saw it the other night so it’s still around.

Bummer it’s going to get cold again down there. I’m sure it will here again soon but at least it won’t be this week. A nice reprieve.

Sure will be nice when these roller coaster rides are over, won’t it?

[luvie]

Yes! It will be great when we can get off this wild ride we’re on. Just hope it doesn’t stop when the temps are 100+. LOL!

Just broke up a cat fight in the front yard. It was Ghost and another cat, but they were behind some bushes, so I can’t be sure if it was Peaches or not. I called him and finally found him at the back door wanting in mighty bad. There wasn’t a hair out of place so maybe it wasn’t him. Ghost came back there so I fed him and talked to him a bit. He just wanted to eat.

If that bobcat is hanging around that close to the house, the kitties are smart not to want to be out there too long or alone. Kind of creepy! Would your hubby shoot him if he could?

[radu]

Yeah, it wouldn’t be fun getting stuck at 100 degrees. TOO hot!

It could have been the gray cat Ghost was fighting with, telling it that the yard is HIS territory and it had better scram. Peaches probably stayed out of the way and was grateful to be able to get back inside where it’s safe.
Nice to know ghost has a full tummy to get him through the night.

Hubby will only shoot the bobcat if it messes with our cats or with him while he’s in the garage.
We kind of like the cats staying close to the house these days so it serves a purpose on that count. And if it’s hanging out in the barn, it’s keeping other varmints out. I doubt there are any raccoons or possums living there this winter.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, Mooch...our heroes make for wonderful reading.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

((HUGS))Good morning, Ladies. Thanks for this morning's thread, Star. How's it going?

[luvie]

If they are living there, they’ll be lunch soon enough!! Maybe it’ll move on when spring arrives. It would be nice if it would take out a few coyotes before he leaves. LOL!

Peaches was very happy to be back in here, though they do like to be out when it’s not freezing. Ghost is welcome here, but he needs to learn that these two are off limits to his possessiveness.

He and Peaches have gotten into it, and Peaches did ok by himself. I hate to break up all fights, so the other cats don’t think he’s a wimp, but on the other hand, I don’t want him injured either.

[radu]

The varmints have lived in the barn every winter for years. I imagine a few were lunch already and others decided to live somewhere else.

It’s not large enough to take out a coyote. I’m not sure I’d like having a cat around that WAS that large. I wouldn’t walk out the door at night.

It’ll be hard to get Ghost to stop fighting with the other two. Heck, a couple of ours still get into spats when they go outside though they get along fine in the house. LOL

[luvie]

Well, they know where that fly swatter is in the house. LOL!

Guess I’d better go for now. This morning was too early for this Night Owl. Even with the nap I had, I haven’t caught up on sleep yet.

See ya tomorrow? That is, unless you get caught up in the family tree. I saw your post. I’ve done the same thing! I need to do some work on mine, but if I were to even look at it right now, I’d be chasing rabbits all night!

[radu]

Indeed they do know where that fly swatter is. LOL! Right here at me desk. Hubby has one on his desk, too, in case they show their butts while they’re hanging out in his man cave.

I think I’m going to take a break from the family tree stuff. At least the stuff I’ve been working on tonight. That appears to be a dead end.
I did find a little more info last night on my 6-times-great-grandfather who fought in the Revolutionary War. That limb of the family tree has been quite fruitful. There’ll be more digging into that side. :-)

Sleep well and have a great day tomorrow.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Thanks for starting my Presidents’ off in the right foot.

[left that other site]

Stay Warm and Snuggly!

[luvie]

Truth!
It always takes so darn long to fall asleep!
Then every little sound wakes me up!
Any wonder I'm cranky in the mornings? LOL!
I guess that's what being a Night Owl is all about.
Anyhooooo....🦉....y'all have a Mahv'lus Monday!
And for goodness sakes...pace yourselves!
(((hugs)))

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Good morning, LUV W. About to take Bo to the ver for his monthly visit. How’s it going?

[luvie]

Howdy, EGC! (((hugs)))

All is well here. It’s warming up. I kind of wish it would rain some more. We barely had enough to dampen the sidewalk.

Hope Bo gets a good report from the vet! Where will you go for your walk this afternoon? Have a good time!

[E.G.C.]

Got a good report from the vet. We will head out to the lake later today. Doing Waurika Lake today.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

It is so unfortunate that such a lovely lady as yourself must suffer with not being able to sleep.

I shall pray tonight that you are able to fall asleep easily and get a full night’s sleep without waking up all night long! ;-)

[luvie]

Good deal that he’s healthy! Have fun at the lake! :)

[luvie]

Well, thank you. I shall report the results of your prayers tomorrow.

If I remember. *grin*

[radu]

ROTFL!!
That is SO appropriate!

[luvie]

Isn’t it, though? LOL!