Lieutenant, Junior Grade James Miller (NSN: 0-130048), United States Navy, was captured by the Japanese after his fighter plane was shot down on 17 February 1944, and held as a Prisoner of War at Rabaul until his death while still in captivity.
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Awards Received
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Distinguished Flying Cross
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Distinguished Flying Cross
Service:
United States NavyRank:
Lieutenant, Junior GradeBatallion:
Fighting SquadronAction Date:
January 25 – February 17, 1944
Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 333 (December 1944)The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant, Junior Grade James Miller (NSN: 0-130048), United States Navy, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while piloting a Fighter Plane in the New Britain area from 25 January to 17 February 1944. Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Miller participated in numerous escort missions and fighter sweeps over this strategic area and pressed home attacks skillfully despite intense enemy opposition. While escorting our bombers on a strike against Lakunai airfield, he was wounded early in the action but he fought his badly damaged plane courageously, shooting down one Japanese plane and damaging another. In a later mission he destroyed one fighter and probably two others before his plane was hit and he was forced to bail out.