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<em>Richard Cutler Miles</em> was born to COL Francis H. Miles, Class of ’10, and Helen T. Whritner Miles in Picattiny Arsenal, NJ.</p>
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During Dicks early childhood, his family traveled to various posts, mostly on the East Coast, and his summers were spent on Long Island in Casco Bay, ME. His older brother Edmund W. Miles graduated from West Point in 1936. Influenced by his father and brother, Dick sought an appointment to the Academy when he was at Technical High School in Springfield, MA.</p>
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After high school, he went on to Millard’s Preparatory School in Washington, DC, passed the entrance exams, and joined the Class of ’42. Dick was well prepared for the rigors of plebe military and academic programs. Nevertheless, he worked unusually hard and spent long hours in order to prepare for his daily class work. Even so, he still found time to buy and enjoy a large collection of classical and popular music records and always was willing to help his classmates in any way he could. He welcomed the opportunity to host young women for weekend visits and invited many friends to visit West Point. Dick’s expertise at stage set up was often called on for cadet productions. During his four years at the Academy, Dick’s ever-optimistic disposition attracted many friends throughout the Corps of Cadets, and there was that ever-present, sincere smile.</p>
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Although he claimed not to be a horseman and he said was glad to get off his horse and walk home, my recollection is of an eager and enthusiastic rider during our riding classes. In fact, Dick often took advantage of the privilege of taking horses on off-duty trips and enjoyed riding the back trails to fish on the lakes of the military reservation.</p>
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Since Dick considered Infantry "where the action was," it was his choice of branches at graduation. He attended Infantry training at Ft. Benning, GA, and then was assigned to the newly formed 89th Division at Camp Carson, CO. While there, he met Martha Ann Lackey, a senior nursing student. He spent more than a year at Camp Carson in a heavy weapons company before being selected for tank destroyer training and receiving orders to a replacement pool supporting the North African Campaign. The fighting soon moved to Italy, however, and in May 1944, Dick was assigned to the 142d Infantry, 36th Infantry Division. His division was moved to the Anzio area of operations.</p>
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The division had many new replacements but very little time was allotted for training before the attack against the Germans resumed. Dick’s division was ordered to attack the Germans, who fell back to a new line. The units leading the attack, Dick’s included, were ambushed and came under heavy small arms and grenade fire. As Dick attempted to move his uninjured troops into a better position, his feet touched something behind him. He turned to face a German SS soldier with rifle in hand. Fortunately, Dick had not been injured, although he was unable to hear at that time because of the concussions of exploding hand grenades. He soon discovered his unit was completely surrounded by Germans, and he and several others were taken to a German rear position, passing through heavy U.S. Artillery fire.</p>
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On arrival, Dick was interrogated by SS Troops and turned over to the Wehrmacht for movement to STALAG 7A at Moosburg in southern Germany. He was soon moved to Stetin, Poland, and saw one of the first fellow U.S. officers, Jake Waters, his former West Point Tactical Officer and GEN Patton’s son-in-law.</p>
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At that time, the U.S. POW’s fared almost as well as the German troops in their area. Dick and others in the camp received radio messages indicating that the war was about over and that they should not attempt to escape. But when the German guards left during one night, knowing the Russians were nearby, Dick and 12 others took off, finding a U.S. unit only a few miles away. As a result, Dick was liberated and returned to the States on 4 Jun 1945. He immediately journeyed to Colorado to find Martha, who waited to hear from him and worked as an Army nurse. On 16 Jun 1945, they married.</p>
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Dick went ahead to Ft. Meade in Asheville, NC, for convalescent leave while Martha separated from the Army Nursing Corps. Dick decided to transfer to the Ordnance Corps and was sent to the University of Southern California and the California Institute of Technology to obtain his master’s degrees in science and engineering. During their stay in Pasadena, twin girls Jane and Julia, were born on 19 Nov 1947. After graduation, Dick attended the Ordnance School in Aberdeen, MD, and was assigned as executive officer to the 740th Ordnance Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, which was engaged in the Korean War. At the end of Dick’s Korean tour, his family joined him in Yokohama, Japan.</p>
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In 1952, Dick went to Bell Telephones Laboratory headquarters in Huntsville, AL, but was soon sent to their New Jersey lab. In 1962, he attended CGSC, and by this time the Miles family had grown with the births of David in 1952, Paul in 1954, and John in 1957. In 1965, the family went to England, where Dick was assigned to the Army Standardization Group. Two years later, in 1967, Mark was born. After England, Dick returned to the Ordnance Center at Aberdeen as a member of the school staff. Dick’s last tour was served with the Space and Missile Group at Norton Air Force Base near San Bernardino, CA. After a rewarding military career that spanned 30 years and three wars, Dick retired in 1972.</p>
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The Miles family settled in Redlands, CA, and Dick worked in financial planning. His son Mark eventually joined the business, and Martha continued her nursing career at a local hospital. Both Dick and Martha became very involved in their church. Their sons David and Paul graduated from the Academy, having followed in the footsteps of their father, uncle, and grandfather. Daughter Julia is married to Richard Ashley ’69, and Jane is married to a retired Coast Guard helicopter pilot. John is a dental technician and lives in Northern California.</p>
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Dick was a staunch supporter of the Army and West Point and maintained its traditions all his life. Weddings, graduations, reunions and, of course, the Army—Navy game were high points of Dick’s retirement years. He was active in the formation of the West Point Society of Palm Springs and served on its board in various capacities but took greatest pride while on the admissions committee. By 1999, there were six young people whom Dick had helped enter the Academy. In addition, Dick was a member of the Post OFlag 64 Society and Kiwanis International.</p>
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Dick is survived by his wife Martha, his children and their families, and his sister Mary of Tucson, AZ.</p>
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It is with profound love and admiration that his devoted family and many friends remember Dick Miles. The world is a better place for his having been here.</p>
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<em>Samuel W. Koster ’42, David F. Miles ’75, and Paul C. Miles ’78</em></p>