From left, County Veteran Affairs Officer Rich Maron, Commissioner Bob Conley, Veteran of the Month William Miller of Warsaw, Commissioner President Cary Groninger and Commissioner Vice-President Brad Jackson. InkFreeNews photo by Lasca Randels.

WARSAW — William Miller, Warsaw, was recognized as Veteran of the Month at the Kosciusko Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Nov. 12. 

Miller was born Dec. 1, 1965, in Columbia City, to Lloyd and Barbara Miller.

Due to Miller’s father’s job, the family moved back and forth between Arizona and Indiana. 

In 1985, at the age of 19, Miller joined the U.S. Army. He attended basic training and advanced infantry training at Fort McClellan, Ala., where he trained to become a member of the military police.

Miller’s tour in Afghanistan. Photo provided.

After successful completion of training, Miller was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company where he remained until 1998. 

Miller married his wife, Stacey, in February 1986. In May of that year, he received orders to an army base in Dieburg, Germany, where he spent the next four years and became part of the NATO Physical Security Force. 

His next assignment brought him back to the U.S.  — at Fort Bragg, N.C., where he served his country for the next eight years, which included a temporary one-year assignment to South Korea.

Miller was honorably discharged from the army in 1999 and moved back to Warsaw, where he became a member of the National Guard Armory 315. 

His guard unit was called into action for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit spent time in Kuwait and Iraq. Miller also served with his 293rd guard unit in a humanitarian effort to help with clean-up after Hurricane Katrina. 

Miller retired from the National Guard in 2006 and continues to reside in Warsaw. He and Stacey have two children, Timothy Miller (and wife, Melissa) who are currently stationed in Fort Bragg, N.C., and Chandler Leigh Miller, who recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in business and resides in Warsaw. 

“Growing up, I didn’t get to spend a lot of quality time with my dad,” Chandler said. “I was born in Germany and we moved to North Carolina when I was still a baby since he served in the army as a military police officer K-9 handler. After he retired [from the military], when I was 9 or 10 years old, we moved to Indiana. After that, he still worked a lot of hours, as did my mom, but since my brother and I were in school it didn’t really bother us too much. After becoming a young adult and entering the working world, I realized how much I had been missing out on.”

Miller’s first enlisted photo. (Photo provided)

“Around five years ago, I got the opportunity to work with my dad at LSC Communications for several months,” said Chandler. “He was very personable with the other employees and management, knowledgeable and all around a very happy individual.”

Chandler said her father taught her work ethics and the importance of being a kind person.

“He’s a kind-hearted, loving, hard working, all-American family man. I couldn’t be prouder that he’s receiving the Veteran of the Month honor. He’s worked hard his entire life to make sure that my mother, brother and myself are taken care of to the best of his ability.”

Miller and his son, Timothy, were the first father-son combination to be stationed together in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

William and Stacey Miller also have two grandchildren, Asher and Aubrey. 

Miller recently left his job at LSC Communications in Warsaw where he worked as a bindery operator. He now works as a production supervisor at Shiloh Industries in Pierceton.

“I’d like to accept this…in honor of…for all my brothers,” a visibly emotional Miller said as he was presented with a Veteran of the Month plaque.