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<em>Christopher Jesse Miller, Jr</em>. arrived in this world on Independence Day 1932 in Richmond, Virginia. Shortly after his birth, the Miller family moved to Washington, D.C., where Chris lived until he was 10. Then came another move to Westminster, Maryland, where Chris completed high school at 16. However, Chris’s real love was North Carolina; he spent most of his summers on his grandparents’ farm enjoying life and learning to fish and hunt, pastimes he pursued his entire life. Two high school interests took most of Chris’s time. One was his love of horses; he won many ribbons and trophies while competing in Maryland and Virginia horse shows. His goal in high school was to become a professional jockey; however, when he grew six inches during his senior year, this became an impossible dream. His other hobby was researching and writing about various facets of the Civil War. Westminster is only 14 miles south of the Gettysburg battlefield; Chris spent many days walking the battlefield, studying the strategy and operations of both sides in the fateful battle.</p>
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Chris spent two years preparing for West Point; one year at Western Maryland College and another at Bullis Preparatory School before his appointment from Maryland. On 3 July 1951 he became a full-fledged member of the Class of 1955. After the trials of Beast Barracks, he settled into Company 1-1. Unfortunately, it seemed either the Tactical Department or the Academic Department, or both, pursued him for the next four years. Through it all, he maintained his enthusiasm, optimism, and cheerful attitude while giving the Academy his best shot. Chris had an exceptionally keen sense of right and wrong; he stood unyielding, uncompromising and unflinching in defending what he knew was right. He loved the old South and considered himself a Southerner who gloried in the exploits of Jackson, Stuart, Lee and the ragtag rebel troops. Chris considered Maryland a Southern state—not a border state as indicated in so many American history texts.</p>
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While studying the war between the States, Chris and his classmates marvelled at how soldiers so dedicated to a cause and with such fortitude could march into musket and cannon fire, knowing the certainty of death. Who among us could have met the test, we wondered. Chris could have. It was not difficult to visualize Chris moving forward among the fluttering flags and guidons, his eyes fixed on Cemetery Ridge, marching through the fire, smoke and confusion of battle. Although he knew the outcome of this terrible conflict, Chris never really believed that the South did not win.</p>
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In August 1954, Chris met Margaret (Peggy) Stewart; both of their mothers had been trying to get them acquainted for several years. It was a perfect match; they were devoted to each other from the beginning. There were, however, complications. Chris graduated in June 1955 and reported to Fort Benning for the Basic Infantry Course, and Airborne and Ranger schools. After completing all the schools and a short leave in Pennsylvania and Maryland, he departed for South Korea on 3 May 1956. Because Peggy did not graduate until June 1956, their marriage was delayed until 6 September 1957, 16 days after Chris returned from Korea’s DMZ. Next came an assignment at Fort Carson, Colorado with temporary duty at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. Thereafter was an assignment to Fort Benning which ultimately included the Advanced Infantry Course. From there the Millers went to Fort Greely, Alaska, arriving on Chris’s 32nd birthday in 1964. They enjoyed this assignment immensely--good friends of longstanding and the fishing and hunting opportunities. Chris came up for reassignment in the summer of 1966. He had three options, two of which were safe-and-sound stateside billets. Duty beckoned however, and Chris chose an assignment with the 1st Cavalry in Vietnam. He died there in the line of duty on 20 October 1966, three months after the birth of his son, Christopher Jesse Miller, III. Chris’s name is on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. and on the Maryland Memorial in Baltimore; unfortunately, it is improperly engraved on both —Christopher J. J. Miller, Jr.—with an extra initial J. Chris probably would have found great humor in this, but would have been intolerant of such a mistake. Chris was buried with full military honors at West Point.</p>
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Chris and Peggy had three children and were as devoted to them as they were to each other. Life goes on for Peggy and the children; Chris would be proud of them all. Peggy makes her home in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, where she is a technical researcher for Prudential/AARP’s Group Health Insurance. She is an expert on Medicare, CHAMPUS and VA and government hospital insurance. Susan Elizabeth Young graduated from Rutgers with a degree in food science and is the eastern manager for the Institute of Food Technology. Sarah Faye Bailey earned an associate degree in liberal arts from Centenary College and another in early childhood development; she is a preschool teacher. Christopher J. Miller, III served the Army for nearly three years, two of them in Germany, and thereafter earned an associate degree in forestry from Penn State. He now serves in the Pennsylvania National Guard and works as an arborist. It is unfortunate that Chris was unable to see his children grow up, for he would have enjoyed unbounded pride in the masterful job Peggy did in rearing the children alone. If one can measure a man by his wife and children, Chris was champion in all respects. And above all, he was a loyal person—loyal to his family, friends, classmates, the Corps and the Army. He was a friend to everyone and an inspiration to those who knew him well and shared his defeats and successes. He is remembered as a good friend and a good soldier.<br />
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