Foil: 11 Panel: 2 Column: 4 Line: 55

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. William C. Streets

Earl R. Miller, according to the obituary published in the Pasadena Star-News on March 18, 2008, was born April 18,1919 in Intercourse, PA and died March 15, 2008. He had one son, Earl Robert Miller and three grandsons, Erik, Earl, and Joe. He is survived by his third wife Velda Miller. He served in the US Navy during WW-II as a Naval Aviator. He was a Mason.

The following narrative is a compilation of what the writer was told at various times near the end of his life. It may or may not be factually correct since the stories varied from time to time, however I believe the following to be correct. The writer did not know Earl during the early years of Earl's life.

According to Earl, he was the youngest of two sons. Earl's mother taught him and his brother how to fly. His mother kept the family together during the depression of the '30's and Earl was brought up by his brother (Robert). Earl's mother was a strong Mennonite and brought Earl up in that religion. After school, Earl began to fly for a living. He said he joined the Navy after school. He was assigned to Pensacola Naval Air Station and flew most, if not all, the aircraft owned by the Navy in 1940. He ferried F4F's from Pensacola to San Diego in 1941 and was later assigned to fly aircraft (SOC's) from Navy cruisers. He was assigned to the USS Saratoga in 1941 (Sara). He said that he flew F4F's and SPD's off the Sara. Earl said that he flew for a time from Guadalcanal and some aircrew were assigned from the Sara to the Cactus air force. During the war, Earl was wounded or injured in an aircraft accident. His right leg was damaged and he was sent back to the US to recover. He was assigned as a flight instructor teaching aviators to fly F4U's (Corsair, the best naval aircraft of WW-II in his opinion). He ended the War as a LCDR.

He subsequently divorced or was divorced. He then married Velda who already had two children (and later three grandchildren). His age ended his flying. He last kept his airplane at El-Monte airport. He resided in Temple City, CA, invented a safety device for natural gas appliances and died of heart problems in 2008. His right leg gave him problems right up until the end.