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name
MILLER, Verl E - Date of
birth
16 May 1925 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Paulding County, Ohio -
Hometown
Paulding County, Ohio
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
35296156 -
Rank
Private -
Function
Mortar Gunner -
Unit
E Company,
2nd Battalion,
325th Glider Infantry Regiment,
82nd Airborne Division,
2nd Platoon - Mortar Squad
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 September 1944 - Place of
death
On the top of the hill between Rijksweg and Zevendalseweg
Plasmolen, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| H | 6 | 4 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Alonzo F. Miller (father)
Effie M. (Ashbaugh) Miller (mother)
John C. Miller (brother)
Samuel E. Miller (brother)
Cleota R. Miller (sister)
Bessie M. Miller (sister)
Cloyd Miller (brother)
Marilyn M. Miller (sister)
More information
Pvt Verl E. Miller enlisted in Toledo, Ohio on 24 November 1943.His comrade Frank A Plebanek who was his assistant mortar gunner) recalled what happened: "We spent the afternoon digging the hole and sat down next to the mortar for a badly needed break. Verl and I each opened a K-ration and had dinner. About 04:00pm Verl stood up, stretched and walked to the right around the corner of the farmhouse. I was still sitting next to the mortar watching him.
He couldn't have taken more than three steps past the corner of the house, where I couldn't see him, when I heard a shot, then a long drawn-out moan and groan. I stood up and walked to the corner of the house and looked around it. I had my carbine in my hands, if needed. There lay Verl Miller, flat on his back, with his head nearest me, his right arm from the elbow up was more or less pointing upward, with his right palm facing upward. His left arm was flat upon the ground, alongside his body. His legs were crossed at the ankles. He still had his helmet on, his face was looking straight up into the sky and he wasn't moving. He must have been killed instantly. He probably never knew what hit him".
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.ww2-airborne.us, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees / Birth Index / 1940 Census, "18 Months in E-Company, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment" by Frank A. Plebanek
Photo source: Anthony Nouens