Corporal David Miller Receives Purple Heart and Bronze Star

"Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the purple heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen." ~George Washington, August 7, 1782

Corporal David Miller was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star today, for his service to our country. In addition, Miller Green looks fantastic with a new flag pole flying the American and POW MIA flags, new flowers, and stonework.

Thank you to everyone who made this happen and thank you to everyone, past and present, who have served in the military, to protect our freedoms.

Miller Green Remodel

I am still waiting for a flagpole but this seems to be a step in the right direction. The plaque was given a base and moved closer to the original monument (the boulder).

Almost fixed

I was pleasantly surprised when I drove by Miller Green this afternoon. The McGovern monument was removed (for the most part). Thank you to the family for doing the right thing. There will be a wreath laying at the site on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25th at 11:30.




Now we just need to get this hunk of cement, that was the base of the monument, unearthed and removed.

Sprinter* is over and Spring has officially arrived

Today officially marked the first day of spring for me because I spotted the season's first Fall River youth sporting a Fall River tuxedo, the wifebeater and baggy jeans. This reminded me that the ground is now soft enough to remove a certain monument squatting on the green dedicated to the Fall River war hero who died in a Japanese prison camp during WWII, Corporal David Miller.

An organization in Fall River is planning a memorial service and wreath laying for David Miller on his green next month. Pat Casey needs to get her ass in gear and follow through with the promise she made to correct the egregious error she and Bob Correia committed when they stole David Miller Green and renamed it for a local restaurant owner.

PAT CASEY and BOB CORREIA: WE WILL NOT FORGET!


*Sprinter is the name given to the season Pat Casey thinks comes between Winter and Spring (copyright WJ Bloggah/Westcoast transplant 2009)

Who Was David Miller?

Fall River asked this question in 1974 during the South Main Street reconstruction project when particular attention was paid to the giant boulder lying in the middle of the project. Part of the answer they found was something we all now know: David Miller is a war hero who died, serving his country, in a Japanese prison camp after surviving the Bataan Death March.

The rest of the answer they received is as follows...

David Miller's grandfather donated the land immediately adjacent to (and possibly including) the location of the square to the city to build a roadway.

The boulder in the article/picture below was the original monument dedicated to Miller in the 1950's. It still sits in the square, however, it is now being used as a back drop to the McGovern monument rather than its original purpose, a monument to David Miller.

(boulder monument barely peeking out from behind the McGovern monument)


Despite major South Main Street reconstruction in the area, the boulder monument to Miller was guaranteed preservation by the state department of public works in 1974(in the article below).

(Herald News article 8-15-74 *click on pictures to enlarge)



In 1991 the city rededicated the square to Miller with the addition of a plaque.

(Herald News article 6-17-91)

(Herald News article 6-19-91)

History seems to be repeating itself. In 1974, just 20 years after the boulder monument was dedicated to Corporal Miller, the city had already started to forget. The South Main Street reconstruction project sparked renewed interest in Miller's story and heroism. Now, a mere 17 years after Miller Square was rededicated the city government is encouraging us to forget by moving/overshadowing/renaming Corporal Miller's monument. Lest we forget........

Given our history of forgetting David Miller, I would suggest that the only sufficient remedy is to remove the McGovern monument from the square and replace it with a new monument to Miller that tells the story of his life, death, and the reason that monument is there so in another 20 years we will not have to again ask "Who Was David Miller?"

Corporal Miller in the Herald News July 19, 1943

Click to Enlarge

Mayor Correia on Miller Green

"I didn't see anything wrong with it at the time, I don't see anything wrong with it now." Bob Correia

"We have Kennedy park that was rededicated, by the way, because it wasn't Kennedy park all the time, it was dedicated again to a fallen president" Bob Correia

Bob, truthfully - Kennedy park used to be named "South Park." The city didn't rob the South family honor by renaming it Kennedy Park. Mr. South did not die for his country. In fact there is no Mr. South - the park was named after a direction, so your example is ridiculous.

In response to the Casey/Correia argument that their actions were justified because the square looks better now and that the square was so horrible before, etc:

CLICK TO ENLARGE

(thanks to bigsam27 for the picture)

I realize it is from a distance but the square looks decent to me, albeit humble as Corporal Miller's plaque indicates.

Miller Green v. McGovern Square

1946 Dedication of Miller Green (Square)

"In honor of all the boys of the southern section of the city who served in the armed forces during WWII and to be named Corporal Miller Green"


2008 Order for McGovern Square by Councilor Pat Casey

"delicious American food for weddings, family gatherings and other occasions at the banquet facility while simultaneously running the restaurant."

POSTPONED - Help Honor a Hero

UPDATE:
Due to a scheduling conflict, the Miller memorial ceremony has been postponed. I will post the new date when I have it.
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Thanks to some concerned veterans, there will be a memorial ceremony to honor Corporal David L. Miller at 12:00pm on Sunday Dec. 7. The memorial will be held at the square previously known as Miller Square (currently known as McGovern Square thanks to Pat Casey, Bob Correia, and others). Please come and help honor the life and remember the heroic death of Corporal Miller.

Dec. 7, 2008 is the 67th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks and is a very appropriate day for Corporal Miller's memorial. I hope many people can join us. Hopefully we can either convince the powers that be to correct their error or we can join together to right the situation on our own.

In Memory of Corporal David L. Miller

66 years ago today, Corporal David L. Miller, son of Fall River, gave his life for our freedom in a Japanese prison camp after surviving the Bataan Death March.



(Due to the nature surrounding Corporal Miller's death, there is conflicting information about when he died. This plaque says 1943, however, the WWII Memorial site has Corporal Miller's date of death as November 23, 1942)

Corporal David L. Miller was born in Fall River in 1916. After graduating high school in Fall River, he spent some time working in publishing/printing. In 1939 Hitler invaded Poland starting WWII. One year into WWII, on 11/12/1940, at the age of 24, David Miller enlisted as a private in the Army Air Corps.

Private Miller soon became Corporal Miller. Corporal Miller was stationed in the American-held Philippines in 1941. In December of 1941, the Japanese Army invaded the Philippines. The combined Filipino and US forces were being gradually overrun and General Douglas MacArthur decided to make Bataan the site of a last stand. After months of fighting, on April 3, 1942 the Japanese began an all-out assault on the American and Filipino troops left on the Bataan peninsula. Bataan fell on April 9, 1942 when the Americans surrendered to the Japanese marking the beginning of the Bataan Death March. Corporal David L. Miller was one of the 70,000 soldiers captured, by the Japanese, and forced to embark on a 65 mile torturous hike from Bataan to a prison camp.

From the day of surrender on, the POWs were harshly beaten and killed for the slightest or no reason at all. Any troops who fell behind were executed. Japanese troops beat soldiers randomly, and denied the POWs food and water for many days. Anyone who dared ask for water was executed. On the rare occasion they were given any food, it was only a handful of contaminated rice.

The men, already desperately weakened by hunger and disease, suffered unspeakably during the March. Regardless of their condition, POWs who could not continue or keep up with the pace were summarily executed. Even stopping to relieve oneself could bring death, so many chose to continue walking while relieving themselves. Some of the guards made a sport of hurting or killing the POWs. The Marchers were beaten with rifle butts, shot or bayoneted without reason. Most of the POWs got rid of their helmets because Japanese soldiers on passing trucks hit them with rifle butts. Some enemy soldiers savagely toyed with POWs by dragging them behind trucks with a rope around the neck. Japanese guards also gave the POWs the "sun treatment" by making them sit in the sweltering heat of the direct sun for hours at a time without shade.

"Their ferocity grew as we marched ... they were no longer content with mauling tragglers or pricking them with bayonet points. The thrusts were intended to kill."-Capt. William Dyess, 21st Pursuit Squadron commander

Corporal Miller survived the death march beatings, starvation, and dehydration and made it to the Japanese prison camp, where 27,000 Filipinos and 2,200 Americans, including Corporal Miller died.
Click to watch the very emotional story of a Bataan Death March Survivor


Information compiled from:
National Archives - Military Record of David Miller
WWII Memorial site
National Museum of the USAF
University of San Diego

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As I mentioned in my previous blog post. Mayor Correia and City Councilor Pat Casey spearheaded the project to remove and relocate Corporal Miller's Memorial at Corporal Miller Square on Shove and South Main Streets and replace it with a new huge memorial to Paul McGovern. Correia dedicated the McGovern tribute and renamed the square after him. I am OUTRAGED that Correia stole this brave soldier's tribute. I, in no way, mean to disparage the memory of Mr. McGovern; that being said, this reeks of political patronage.

Shame on Bob Correia, Pat Casey, and all those involved in tearing up, relocating, and renaming Corporal Miller's memorial: You are stealing our history.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
-George Santayana