The Living History Book: A 94-Year-Old World War II Veteran's Journey

Quick answer: Who is Harry Miller?

Harry Miller was an orphan from Ohio who lied about his age to enlist and served as a tank crewman with the 740th Tank Battalion from Belgium into Germany, including the Battle of the Bulge. He later spent 22 years in the Air Force, retiring as a senior master sergeant in 1966.

John had lunch with Harry Miller, a 94-year-old World War II veteran, and calls him a living history book, like traveling through time with Forrest Gump as your guide. Over a Stella Artois, Harry explained that he kept seeing signs for "Stella" while driving through Belgium until a local told him the name meant "star." Born in Ohio during the Depression, Harry lost his mother at three and his father at thirteen. With no birth certificate, he claimed to be eighteen and joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps at fifteen. He went to Europe with the 740th Tank Battalion, which arrived without the tanks it had been promised. When the Germans attacked in the Ardennes on December 16, 1944, the battalion scrounged a handful of Shermans and a tank destroyer and went into action at Stoumont. A month into the job, Private Miller passed heavy shells to the gunner. Years later an executive asked if he'd been with the 101st Airborne at Bastogne. Harry said he'd been supporting the 82nd, which was never encircled. He went on to a 22-year Air Force career, helped plan B-52 strikes, and retired in 1966. Some people live the life they're given, he told John, and some try to make the world better.

Why it matters for leaders: The veterans around us carry experience worth hearing, and it takes only the effort of asking.

Q: What unit did Harry Miller serve in?

A: The 740th Tank Battalion, which fought at Stoumont during the Battle of the Bulge and later supported the 82nd Airborne Division.

Q: How old was he when he enlisted?

A: Fifteen. Orphaned and without a birth certificate, he claimed to be eighteen.

Read the full article on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/living-history-book-94-year-old-world-war-ii-veterans-john-fenzel

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation