On Friday, April 18, University High School students and faculty had the opportunity to learn about the life and legacy of Pvt. Leroy B. Miller, Jr., a World War II soldier and great-grand-uncle of junior Fenton Parker.
Pvt. Miller, an alum of The Orchard School in Indianapolis, enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 18 and was killed in action during the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest on November 8, 1944. For nearly 80 years, he was listed as missing in action, with his remains misidentified and buried in a mass grave in Belgium.
Chief Warrant Officer Three Cory Howard of the Indiana National Guard visited University to speak about the efforts of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which identified Pvt. Miller’s remains in August 2024 using a combination of battlefield investigation, anthropological analysis, and DNA testing provided by family members.
The Assembly included remarks from Associate Head of School Dave Vesper, himself a retired Brigadier General of the Indiana National Guard, who shared family documents and artifacts, including a poem Pvt. Miller wrote in 1943 while training. The poem reflects Pvt. Miller’s hope for peace.
“How long, O God, will it be
Until I can lie back
In the long cool grass
And gaze up towards
A clear, blue sky
That encompasses
A World of Peace?”
Pvt. Miller’s remains will be returned to his family this summer, and he will be buried with full military honors. This Assembly marked a meaningful opportunity for students to engage with living history and understand the impact of military service across generations.