1st. Lt. Judson F. Miller (0103272)

At age 19, Judson F. Miller led a platoon of Tank Company F. In 2016 his daughter, Kathy Williams, published a book of his wartime letters home, which is essential reading for scholars of frontline life in WW2. ‘Dear Dad’ is available from Amazon here. Kathy (who is part of our project research chat group on Signal) has provided a brief synopsis of her father’s life and service below. There is also audio of a conversation with Kathy at the foot of this page.

Judson F. Miller would go on to fight in Korea and Vietnam, concluding a 34-year military career as a two-star general (Major General). He was recommended for the Silver Star and cited for two Bronze Stars in WW2 and the Silver Star in Vietnam.

Judson F. Miller was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was the oldest of three sons and said he always wanted to be an officer in the army. He graduated high school from Oklahoma Military Academy (OMA) and was attending his freshman year of college at OMA when he turned 18. He promptly dropped out of OMA and enlisted as a buck private.  He did this against his parents’ wishes. He told his daughter that he was afraid he was going to miss the war.

He went to Officer Candidate School at FT Riley, Kansas. Sometime between July 4 and July 27, (according to his letters home) of 1944 he found himself in France. He was a second lieutenant with a tank platoon of 20 men and five tanks.

After the war he was in the Army of Occupation where he met and married an army nurse, Bette Lancaster. They had four children, three of whom were born in army forts.

His mother saved his 67 WWII letters he sent to her, his father and siblings. He wrote faithfully nearly every week trying to reassure his family that he was just fine and dandy. These are compiled in a book, Dear Dad. The original letters and other artifacts are at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA.

He went on to fight in the Korean War and Vietnam. Miller made a 34-year career out of the army and retired as a general.  He attended college while off duty and earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Maryland and a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from George Washington University. After retiring from the army, he went back to college and earned a law degree from the University of Puget Sound School of Law. He practiced law with the law firm of F.G. Enslow & Associates in Tacoma, WA.

Judson was recommended by his commanding officer, Capt. Elliott Averett Jr, for the Silver Star in recognition of his valour in April 1945. As was not uncommon, when such a recommendation passed up through the army’s higher chain of command, this resulted in his receiving a Bronze Star with V Device. [Site editor’s note: he also received the Bronze Star for meritorious service, meaning that he was the holder of the Bronze Star with V Device and Oak Leaf Cluster].

Narrative of Capt. Averett Jr’s Silver Star recommendation for Judson Miller

Lt. Judson F. Miller and his 3rd Plt. of Light Tank Company "F", 24th Cav. Recn. Sq. (mecz) was on the 13th April 1945 attached to the 3rd Battalion of the 16th Infantry to participate in the Battalion mission of seizing and holding Hohegeiss, Benneckenstein and cutting the main enemy escape route at Sorge.

On 13th April 45 Lt. Miller's Platoon was attached to "I" Co. of the 16th Inf. to seize and hold the crossroad at RC-053422 and to clear the road from Sulzayen to the crossroad of all enemy resistance and strong points.

The advance from Sulzayen commenced at 1600 on 13 April 45. The crossroad was secured and Lt. Miller's Platoon held the Crossroad while the Infantry pushed off toward Hohegeiss.

While holding at the crossroad Lt. Miller's Section of Tanks was counterattacked by the enemy with one S.P., one Tank and unknown Infantry. The Tank Section under the aggressive leadership of Lt. Miller knocked out the S.P. and drove off the Enemy Tank and Infantry inflicting unknown casualties. During the period Lt. Miller's Plt. held at this point, heavy Enemy Artillery was fired on the position. [Site editor’s note: S.P. = self-propelled gun].

When the Tank Plt. was relieved from the holding mission at the crossroad by Recn. Troop "C". Lt. Miller led his Platoon forward to continue the attack with the Infantry into Hohegeiss, via a trail paralleling the main road on the right and north side. The infantry advance was led by a Platoon of Medium Tanks (5) [Site editor’s note: this number is an overstrike on the original document, which appears to be a 5 typed over a 4] along the trail through the woods.

When the advance elements reached an open spot in the woods at 046434 the Medium Tanks were fired upon by an Enemy Tank hidden in the woods across the open ground to the right. Three of the Medium Tanks were knocked out and the Infantry was stopped. Lt. Miller quickly brought his platoon of tanks to the front and after a quick estimate of the situation, Lt. Miller laid a smoke screen across the open front with his Smoke Mortar, mounted on the M-24 Tank.

He screened all movement from the enemy tanks observation and enabled the Infantry, his own platoon of light tanks and the one remaining medium tank to cross the open ground without receiving any further fire from the enemy guns.

The combined forces were then able to continue their advance and to accomplish the scheduled cutting of the main road from Hohegeiss to Benneckenstein at RC-043447. Upon reaching this point the direction of the advance was turned to the left and west to seize the town of Hohegeiss. Lt. Miller led the attack on the town and during the action knocked out an Enemy 1/2 Track, 1 Staff Car, 1 20mm A.A. & A.P. Gun [Site editor’s note: anti-aircraft & armor-piercing – probably a Flak 30 or Flak 38 in this context] and forced two Enemy Tanks to withdraw from the town. An estimated 50 of the enemy were killed.

Two of Lt. Miller's 4 Tanks were immobilized at this point for mechanical troubles and were left behind with their crews. One of these was Lt. Miller's Tank but he took over command of one of the 2 remaining tanks. During the quick reorganization for the further attack on Benneckenstein one Enemy Tank and unknown number of infantry attempted to re-enter Hohegeiss but were driven off by fire from Lt. Miller's Tank. At this point Inf. Co. "I" was relieved from action and put in reserve and Inf. Co. "L" was taken out of reserve and put into the action. Lt. Miller was then attached to Inf. Co. "L" to continue the advance. The Tank Platoon now consisted of 2 Tanks.

At 0200 15th April 45 the force moved to seize and hold Benneckenstein. The advance proceeded along the main road into the town as planned with the Light Tanks spearheading the infantry movement. They quickly over-ran the poorly organized resistance. Benneckenstein was completely occupied by 0800 15th April 45. Approx. 150 P.W.'s were taken and an estimated 25 of the enemy were killed.

The Town was outposted during the day and at 2100 Inf. Co. "L" with Lt. Miller's Plt. of 4 Light Tanks initiated an attack on Sorge to cut the main enemy escape route. This advance led by Inf. Co. "L" and Lt. Miller's Platoon was followed by Inf. Co. "I" with a platoon of Medium Tanks and a platoon of Light Tanks attached. The escape route to be cut led from Braunlaga which was reported, by G-2, to be an Enemy Corps Concentration Point. Braunlaga was to be attacked by friendly units one day after the seizure of Sorge was accomplished. Braunlaga and the escape route were further reported, by friendly tactical air recn., to contain an estimated 50 enemy tanks. Lt.

Miller preceded the infantry advance into the town and over-ran enemy outposts. An Enemy Tank was heard maneuvering in the town. Lt. Miller without firing a shot set up an ambush for the enemy tank to be used at daylight. As soon as daybreak disclosed the Enemy Tank holding the town, it was quickly knocked out.

Recommendation: Lt. Miller during this long and continuous action narrated in the foregoing report has demonstrated qualities of Leadership, Aggressiveness and Fearlessness which retain for him the initiative for the attack in his own control. These qualities have enabled him and the men following his leadership to accomplish these several difficult missions. At any point along the route of this advance and attack, Lt. Miller would have been justified rightly in advising against the employment of his light tanks. His very aggressive action and desire to carry the attack to the enemy, no matter what the odds, so completely disorganized strong points in the enemy's system of defense that the over-running of these organized defences is made to appear easy.

The counter-attack at the crossroad was beaten off by Lt. Miller's Section of 2 Tanks. He did not hesitate for a moment in the laying of smoke across the open ground in the woods and in leading the advance of his Light Tank Plt. through an area where 3 Medium Tanks had just been knocked out. In the counter-attack at Hohegeiss, he engaged the enemy with his own single tank and succeeded in breaking up the enemy maneuver to gain lost ground. Again he did not hesitate to continue the advance from Hohegeiss, though he had only 2 tanks remaining. In the move against Sorge again there was no hesitation to move against reported overwhelming resistance.

It should be remembered that most of the foregoing action took place during the hours of darkness in very heavily wooded areas, not conductive to good tank maneuver or protection.

I therefore recommend that 1st Lt. Judson F. Miller be awarded the Silver Star and cited for bravery and gallantry in action far and above the call of duty.

ELLIOTT AVERETT Jr. Capt. Cav.
Cmdg. Co. "F"

Below, Kathy Williams discusses her book and reflects on memories of Dad.

Judson F. Miller was born December 5 1924, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He died August 31 2010, in Tacoma, Washington