Frederic H. Miller – Major General, United States Air Force

MAJOR GENERAL FREDERIC H. MILLER
Retired Oct. 1, 1966

Frederic H. Miller was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1911. He graduated from Purdue University in 1932 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and, based on ROTC training, received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery Reserve.

Four months later he entered the service as a Flying Cadet, attended the Air Corps Primary Flying School at Randolph Field, Texas, and graduated from the Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Kelly Field, Texas, in October 1933 with a commission as a second lieutenant, Air Corps Reserve.

After two years on extended active duty at Mitchel Field, Long Island, he enlisted in the Air Corps as a Private. He served in this grade at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base until he was commissioned Second Lieutenant, Air Corps, in October 1936 and assigned to Randolph Field as an instructor.

In November 1941, he became assistant A-3 at the Gulf Coast Training Center, Randolph Field. His performance of duty diving this period of very rapid expansion earned him the Legion of Merit. Then, from January 1943 to January 1944, he was director of ground training for the Air Force Central Instructor School, with time out to attend the Empire Central Flying School (Royal Air Force) in England.

Early in 1944 he was assigned to the Second Bomb Division in England where he served as chief of staff for the Second Combat Bomb Wing, as division air inspector, and later as commanding officer of the 491st Bomb Group during combat operations. In October 1944 Colonel Miller became assistant director of operations for U.S. Strategic Air Force Headquarters in the European Theater of Operations, and for his work during this period, received an oak leaf cluster to the Legion of Merit.

He returned to the United States in May 1945 to become chief of the Personnel Policy Planning Division at Army Air Force Headquarters. In August 1947 he enrolled in the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he received a master’s degree in business administration in June 1949. Colonel Miller returned to Washington a month later as chief of the Budget Operations Division, Directorate of the Budget, and the next January was named chief of the Budget Plans Staff. In January 1951 he became deputy director of the Directorate of Legislation and Liaison at U.S. Air Force Headquarters, leaving there in August 1952 to attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C.

Upon his graduation in June 1953, he was named Inspector General of the Air Materiel Command, then assistant for programming, and in July 1955 he was appointed deputy vice commander of Air Materiel Command. He vacated that duty in June of 1956 to become commander of the Northern Air Materiel Area in Europe with station at Royal Air Force Station Burtonwood, near Liverpool, United Kingdom. This assignment was terminated in mid-1958 at which time he returned to Washington, D.C.

Joining the Air Force headquarters, Washington, D.C., on July 1, 1958 the general was assigned duty as director of materiel programs in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Materiel, becoming deputy director, Supply and Services, on December 1, 1958.

In October 1959 General Miller was named director of the European Region, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In this capacity he was responsible, in a staff capacity, for a wide range of politico-military activities, including NATO affairs and military assistance matters.

On February 8, 1962, he assumed command of the Middletown Air Materiel Area at Olmsted Air Force Base, Pennsylvania. This AMA has global responsibilities for the logistics of U.S. Air Force and Military Assistance Program participants, aircraft instruments, air-to-air missile maintenance, survival equipment, petroleum, oil and lubricants, and food service.

General Miller died in February 2007 and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on 1 March 2007.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard