Gerald Miller

MADISON – Gerald J. “Jerry” Miller, age 88, died on Sunday, May 24, 2020. He was born in Madison, Wis., on April 9, 1932, the son of Lester H. and Mary K. (Pankratz) Miller. He married Nancy Lou Reiter on June 14, 1958. He attended Randall Elementary and graduated from West High School, class of 1950. While in high school he enlisted in the 2nd 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun Battery United States Marine Corps Reserve in Madison. His unit was called to active duty immediately after his graduation for duty in the Korean War. His unit left by troop train for Camp Pendleton, Calif. He went to boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif. He then went back to combat infantry training at Camp Pendleton. He then left for Korea aboard the troopship U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson arriving April 1, 1951, at Pusan, Korea. The next day he was airlifted and trucked to the front lines near Hoensong, South Korea and was assigned to 1st Platoon, George Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment, 1st Marine Division, as a light machine gunner and rifleman. His Company then went on the attack crossing the 38th Parallel into North Korea to capture the Hwacheon Reservoir and Dam. Upon reaching the Reservoir the Chinese opened their Spring Offensive and attacked south with 300,000 troops. The South Korean troops on each side of this Division retreated south leaving his Division flanks exposed and about to be trapped, they had to pull back. His Platoon was on the last roadblock to pull out after all the Marine Division passed thru them. He then ran south for two days and nights to escape the trap with little rest and no sleep. His Division regrouped and attached back into North Korea. His Company was then called on to rescue the 38th Regiment, 2nd U.S. Infantry Division who had been overrun on Hill 1051 by a numerically large Chinese force. On the way to the rescue his Company was attacked by the 44th Chinese Division in the pre-dawn at 4:45 a.m. on May 20, 1951. In the five-hour battle, his company suffered six killed and many wounded. The Chinese lost 152 counted dead. He helped many North Korean civilians escape the battle area. He and his squad held off the Chinese while capturing many who he helped to search and disarm. Upon reaching the 38th Regiment Command Post he came upon an unbelievable and gruesome scene. There were many dead and wounded US Soldiers and Chinese. All equipment had been burned and destroyed jeeps, trucks, radios, command tents and supplies. He helped give aid to the wounded while Chinese snipers continually fired at him and his squad. His squad was then assigned the point squad to capture back the top of Hill 1051. Upon securing the Hill he found another devastating scene, more dead and wounded U.S. Soldiers along with hundreds of dead Chinese who had been caught and killed in the barbed wire defenses of the 38th Regiment. He then went on and fought in the battles for Hongcheon, Chuncheon, Yanggu, Inje, Hills 610, 729, 1052 (Lukes Castle) and the southern rim of the Punchbowl where he was again assigned the “point” to capture the last 1,000 yards bunker by bunker. The Punchbowl was an old extinct volcanic valley surrounded by mountains. He then went on to secure many other nameless mountain tops of North Korea finally reaching Kosŏng, ten miles from the Sea of Japan. He was involved in many firefights and enemy mortar and artillery attacks. His Division then moved to the western Korean front lines north of the capital city of Seoul. He helped guard the Panmunjom and Kaesong area where peace talks were being held. He left Korea after 13 months of front-line duty and was discharged at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in May 1952. He was awarded the following ribbons and medals: Combat Action, United Nations with four Battle Stars, United States Presidential Unit Citation, Korean Service National Defense, Marine Corps Reserve, Letter of Appreciation for his participation in the hard-fought battles of April, May, June and July of 1951. He was awarded the Korean Medal of Peace in a government ceremony in Seoul during a revisit in 1994. He was very proud of his service to the Korean people and saw a devastated country become very prosperous. He was a member of the following associations: Disabled American Veterans (DAV), First Marine Division, Korean War Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars-Post 8483 Madison. He was a long-time volunteer driver for the Disabled American Veterans driving veterans to and from medical appointments at the Veterans Hospitals in Madison and Milwaukee. He was a member of the Luther Memorial Church having served on the Church Council, and as a Communion Assistant, on Property and Youth Committees, and an Usher. He and his wife Nancy loved to travel and visited all the U.S. States and many foreign countries. Their highlight trip was a hike in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal. He was meat manager for A & P, Piggly Wiggly, Eagle and Kohls Food Stores for over 40 years. He is survived by his wife of nearly 62 years, Nancy; sons, Clinton (Patty) of Rochester, Minn. and Scott (Sue) of Monte Vista, Colo.; grandchildren, Benjamin, Jack, Madison, and Augustus; and brothers, Lynn (Karen) of De Forest and Larry (Veryl) of The Villages, Fla. He is preceded in death by his parents; sister, Donna Jean; and brother-in-law, Donald Halverson. A private family funeral service will be held at Luther Memorial Church, Madison, where he will be interred in the columbarium. The family asks that in lieu of flowers to please make contributions in remembrance of Jerry to Luther Memorial Church (www.luthermem.org) or DAV (www.dav.org) in support of disabled veterans. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Semper Fidelis Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420