OXFORD — For 33 years, Ennis B. Miller lived with a near-secret.

        Only a few people knew what happened to him on Dec. 4, 1967, on the deck of Army tugboat ST-2121. Eight men survived because of his bravery.

        The crew thanked him. The federal government did not.

        Last week, at age 74, Mr. Miller finally received proper recognition: a Bronze Star with a “V” for valor. It gave closure to a faded war and a long (“22 years, three months and 28 days”) military career that ended prematurely when he failed to receive the medal.

Ennis Miller displays the acknowledgement of his bravery under fire in Vietnam. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        “I knew I had been cheated of what I deserved,” he said. “But I didn't think so much of what I did at the time. Everybody was shook up. We didn't think we'd get away from there alive.”

        Mr. Miller's heroism capped a military career that sent him marching through world history. He entered the Army in May 1945 and went to Germany, where he witnessed the trials of Nazi leaders at Nuremberg. He left the Army but re-enlisted before the Korean War. He was among the first soldiers to arrive — in a segregated unit. In 1967, he volunteered for duty in Vietnam.

        “The first thing my new major told me was, "You're late, sergeant.' I said, "But sir, I'm on time.' He said, "No, I mean I already have a sergeant here.' I thought about it for a hot second. I didn't want to go to Da Nang. So I stayed and went on a tugboat as the first mate.”

        The 65-foot boat and a companion boat, both in the Army's 528th Transportation Detachment, pulled ammunition barges near Cogido, Vietman.

        “Viet Cong attacked our boat,” Mr. Miller said. “When water mines started going off, the barges started sinking. We were dead in the water.

        “The skipper said, "Somebody has to go back there and cut that line.' I grabbed an ax and cut that nylon tow line, which allowed us to get away. We were under tremendous fire, but I didn't think about being hurt. I put my faith in Somebody Else and did the job. Another guy came back to help.”

        The skipper recommended Mr. Miller for a Bronze Star for heroism. But for some reason, perhaps personal, the request wasn't forwarded to headquarters. A few weeks later, Mr. Miller said, the major was court-martialed for black marketeering.

        “A new commanding officer came on, and by this time I had been promoted to first sergeant,” he said. “The new captain put in a request for my medal, but military regulations required all requests to be filed within seven days.

        “So they denied me. That was like a kick in the face. I exposed myself to the enemy. There was shrapnel all over the boat. I don't know why I didn't get hit.”

        Angry over the snub, he left the Army after Vietnam and took a job installing banking equipment for Diebold. Eventually, he returned to his hometown. He retired in 1989.

        For many years, he told his war story to only a few people.

        “I was proud of what I did, of course, but I felt it wasn't kosher for me to go after the medal myself,” Mr. Miller said. “But I finally got tired of waiting. I wanted my medal while I was still alive.”

        In August, Mr. Miller wrote to U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, who asked the Pentagon to review the case.

        Today, Mr. Miller spreads the medal and paperwork across his living room with a fancy commendation — like a diploma — from Adjutant Gen. Kathryn Frost.

        She wrote: “Master Sgt. Miller, disregarding his personal safety for that of his fellow crewmen, made his way to the fantail of the tugboat under heavy automatic weapons fire ... His quick action saved the vessel along with the lives of eight other Army personnel.”

        Mr. Miller had hoped for a formal presentation of the medal today at the NAACP's annual banquet in Shriver Center at Miami University. Unfortunately, Mr. Boehner, of West Chester Township, will be out of the state, an aide said.

        In a statement released by his Washington office, Mr. Boehner called Mr. Miller “a true American hero. ... We are all indebted to him for his sacrifice, and thankful that he has finally been awarded the honor he deserves.”

        Mr. Miller feels vindicated and proud.

        “Getting a medal doesn't impress people much these days, I guess,” he said. “But maybe if they read about it in the paper, it will mean something.”

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