Patrick Miller (soldier)
| Patrick Wayne Miller | |
|---|---|
Miller in 2003
|
|
| Born |
January 15, 1980 Newton, Kansas, U.S. |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 2002 – present |
| Rank |
 Sergeant first class
|
| Unit | 507th Maintenance Company |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
 Combat Action Badge Silver Star Purple Heart Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal Prisoner of War Medal
|
Patrick Wayne Miller (born January 15, 1980) is a United States Army soldier. He was a private first class during the 2003 invasion of Iraq with the U.S. Army's 507th Maintenance Company, serving as a mechanic, becoming a POW. For his actions leading up to his capture, he was awarded the Silver Star for valor. He continues to serve in the U.S. Army.
Miller is a 1998 graduate of Valley Center High School in Valley Center, Kansas a town of 5,000 people outside Wichita, Kansas. Employed in civilian life as a welder, he joined the army in the summer of 2002, to help pay for his student loans.
On March 23, 2003, Iraqi forces ambushed the trail convoy element of the 507th Maintenance Company that had taken a wrong turn near An Nasiriyah. There had been bitter fighting around Nasiriyah, a vital crossing point of the River Euphrates. Miller was driving the last truck in the convoy with Private First Class Brandon Sloan and Sergeant James Riley as passengers. During the attack, he floored the accelerator, trying to steer and duck bullets at the same time. Enemy fire killed Sloan and damaged his truck's transmission, disabling the vehicle.
Prior to his capture, Miller had stood his ground firing at the Iraqis with a malfunctioning weapon, feeding bullets into it by hand to protect two wounded comrades. A U.S. Army press release said Miller jumped from his vehicle and began firing on a mortar position that he believed was about to open fire on his convoy.
Miller was held for 22 days with four other members of his unit including:
After he was captured, he was repeatedly questioned about radio frequencies that were written on pieces of paper inside his helmet. "Thinking on his feet, Pfc. Miller told his captors that they were prices for power steering pumps," the release said. "Disgusted, the captors threw the frequencies and his helmet into the fire."
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Wikipedia