Vic Miller Is September Veteran Of The Month

By Doug KapkeVictor T. Miller is Jefferson County’s Veteran of the Month for September. In a ceremony at the courthouse, he was also presented with a Quilt of Valor and a hand-made, patriotic wall hanging by Rory Rosener. Miller was born in Oroville, California, on February 19, 1948, to Luther and Evelyn Miller. The family moved back to Kansas when he was three years old. He grew up on a farm near Morrowville, Kansas, with an older brother and a younger sister.As a “country boy,” Miller helped with milking 12 cows and caring for the pigs and chickens, but he much preferred to be down at the creek fishing for bullheads or hunting. In those days there was an abundance of rabbits, pheasants and quail that provided extra food for the family. The eggs, cream and milk were often taken to town to sell for grocery money. Miller still recalls being able to trade an egg for an ice cream cone. The family moved to Fairbury in 1962 when Miller was a high school freshman. He worked odd jobs to have spending money and he recalls spending many enjoyable hours at Crystal Springs with old fishermen, fishing for carp with canned corn. He graduated from Fairbury High School in 1966 and went to work full time for Dempster Industries in Beatrice.Miller was drafted into the Army on January 10, 1968. Private Miller took eight weeks of Basic Training at Fort Lewis, Washington, along with his high school classmates Roger Shinn, Don Boley and Ed Troxel. All four men were assigned to the same floor of the same WWII barracks. They separated after the first eight weeks and Private Miller stayed at Fort Lewis for an additional eight weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT). Upon completion of AIT, Private First Class Miller was selected for 10 weeks of Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Upon completion of NCO School, Corporal Miller was assigned to South Vietnam. Corporal Miller recalls being flown into Cameron Bay from Hawaii and then traveled by C-130 aircraft to the 1st Cavalry Division before being transported by Chinook Helicopter to E Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 196th Brigade, “Americal” Infantry Division, which operated within the I Corps Tactical Zone in the northern most part of South Vietnam near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was 11C40, Indirect Fire Crewman with the 81mm mortar, and carried out fire missions from Landing Zone (LZ) West to LZ Siberia. He also carried out patrols with 11B40 (Light Weapons Infantry) from these two Landing Zones, including two reconnaissance missions into Laos.Life isn’t always fair, Miller noted. While he was in Vietnam, his brother, Ron, had a sweet Naval assignment in Newfoundland, where he hunted moose and fished in his off-duty time.As a family they knew that “Freedom Isn’t Free.” Miller’s dad, Luther, spent four years and nine months in WWII. He also had two uncles who served during the Korean War.Miller does not speak much of his tours in Vietnam, but his honors speak for themselves. He received the Army Expert M-14 Rifle Badge, Combat Infantry Badge, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Purple Heart Medal and two overseas service bars. On October 31, 1969, he was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant E-5.During civilian life, Miller lived in several places in Nebraska and Colorado before permanently returning to Fairbury. He had many different jobs during his lifetime including manufacturing, packing house work, pipeline work, being a farmhand, but worked mostly in construction. In retirement, Miller still helps farmers, gardens, likes to fish and can be depended upon to honor deceased veterans and their families as a member of the Fairbury Post 3113 VFW Honor Guard.

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