 |
MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Spring '71
George Livingston Miller NO.15408 CLASS OF
1946 Died 6 December 1969 in Vietnam, aged 44 years.
Interment: West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York |
When he reported into the Academy on 1 July 1943 as a fresh-faced
seventeen-year-old, George Miller had already demonstrated the
traits, which would mark his subsequent military career. He had,
for instance, proven his intellectual brilliance by graduating
first in his high school class in Ambler, Pennsylvania; he had
demonstrated his sensitivity and artistic abilities by playing
major roles in his high school band, orchestra, choir and dramatic
society. His warmth and essential humanism were clear from the
many friendships he had formed; his determination was evidenced
by his having lettered as a distance runner despite the fact
that he had no particular talent as a trackman.
It was a case of "love at first sight" between George
and the military. Despite the rigors of plebe year and the moments
of despair to which they gave rise, he always smiled —sometimes
wearily—and challenged the system to try him further. George
tackled life at West Point with characteristic zest and relish,
establishing early the pattern of excellence that carried him
through to graduation with eminent success. Along the way, he
applied himself with equal diligence to helping deficient classmates,
spending brief hours at home and with Nancy Brady, becoming a
member of A-squad fencing, riding, singing in the choir and glee
club, and enjoying and enhancing those one-of-a-kind relationships
which develop only in the face of common adversity. With indispensable
help from home, "G" hosted boodle fights beyond belief,
and many a baked chicken entered the First Division tower never
to be seen again. George was a model cadet from both the "Tac's"
and the "P's" viewpoints. His typical monthly demerit
record, even as a Plebe, showed two or three trivial infractions
totaling four or five demerits altogether. The most serious offense
in his cadet career was "studying in the hall" at 2345
hours. As suggested by the demerit entry, George was a serious
student. He graduated 122 in a class of 875, particularly excelling
in such professional subjects as ordnance and tactics.
George and Nancy began their very special marriage on 22 June
1948, and it became increasingly special in 1955, 1956, and 1962
with the arrival of Roy, Edward, and Martha, in that order. Always
strongly family oriented—perhaps as a consequence of the
deep affection and respect which he felt as an only child for
his own mother and father —George especially prized assignments
which let him spend time with Nancy and the children.
As the marriage and the children grew, so did George's career
in the variety of troop and staff assignments to be expected
of a brilliant young Armor officer. His military file reflects
outstanding performance of these successive duties; it could
hardly do justice to the strong impressions, left on contemporaries
and superiors alike of a warm and sensitive human being, balanced
in his judgments, and uncommonly dedicated to the ideals of service.
Among his favorite assignments, for he loved the place, was
a tour at West Point with the Department of English, upon the
completion of a Master's Degree at the University of Pennsylvania.
There, in the cadet section rooms and in instructor conferences,
an uncompromising regard for truth and a deep concern for man
melded with his lifelong adherence to the precepts of the cadet
motto. Those who knew him at that time noted a remarkable balance
of exceptional intellect and compassion for his fellow man.
A cavalry man at heart (he had even enjoyed riding instruction
as a cadet, to the despair of his classmates!), George thrived
on and invariably succeeded in troop assignments—particularly
in Germany where he served twice. He especially enjoyed commanding
the 4th Squadron of the 7th Cavalry in Korea in 1965-66, just
after attendance at the Army War College. His principal forte,
however, was in senior staff positions with Department of the
Army, the Office of the Secretary of the Army, and the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. There
his precision, energy, and lucidity—combined with professional
knowledge—made him the very model of a modern major staffer.
George's final assignment was as the Senior Advisor to the
24th Special Tactical Zone in Vietnam. He was accompanying his
advisee, the Commanding Officer of the 24th Special Tactical
Zone in a tour of the combat area, when their helicopter was
shot down by hostile fire.
George left us all enriched by the experience of having known
him. May his legacy as comrade, husband, and father continue
to inspire in us the same high ideals of service which he so
consistently exemplified in his own life.
|