Harry C. Miller Post 1187

On October 25, 1944, Miller’s B-29 “The Heavenly Body” was hit by antiaircraft fire over Omura, Japan. Fragments from the exploding anti-aircraft shell mortally wounded Miller. The aircraft commander, Captain Jack Ledford, himself wounded, managed to get the stricken aircraft out of enemy territory and over China. Ledford elected to have the crew bail out. The crew tied a rope from the navigator’s table to Miller’s parachute cord and lowered him through an open hatch. Ledford then bailed out immediately after Miller so he could follow the unconscious flight engineer to the ground. Miller landed near the town of Fangshin, in Hopei Province, China. He was taken to the hospital, but never regained consciousness and died shortly thereafter.

His mother, Mrs. Katherine Miller of Denver, Colorado, requested that his body be buried in the Lutheran Mission graveyard in Fangshin. Miller’s grave became a shrine to the local Chinese, who came to worship and pay respects to the man who they believe had been sent from heaven to help them. The shrine became so popular that the Chinese government had to move Miller’s body twice, and eventually repatriated Miller’s body to the care of a U.S. cemetery in Hawaii. When Miller’s mother learned of the move, she requested that Miller’s body be returned to Colorado, but at the time, there were no military cemeteries in Denver.   

Katherine Miller was instrumental in a campaign to have surplus land in Denver converted to a National Cemetery. That land eventually became Fort Logan National Cemetery in 1950.  

On November 1, 1950, Master Sergeant Harry C. Miller was buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery. If you wish to pay your respects, he is in Section A, plot 137-A. Miller was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.

Post 1187 was formally dedicated as the Harry C. Miller American Legion Post on Nov 1, 1987, to honor both the military service and sacrifice of Harry C. Miller and the diligent work of his Gold Star Mother, Katherine Miller.