National Naval Aviation Museum

Discovery Saturday

Details

Published on Thursday, 19 April 2012 13:53

Join us for Discovery Saturday at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 18. Discovery Saturday is free and open to the public.

Colonel Mac Miller 
Marine Reminsces About World War II

Saturday, May 18th at 10 a.m. on the Cabot Flight Deck

As part of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation’s Discovery Saturday series, please join 98 year old retired Marine Colonel Justin “Mac” Miller as he shares his first-hand experiences during World War II at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 18 at the National Naval Aviation Museum.  

Col. Miller was born in 1914 and attended the Naval Academy, class of 1937. Mac left the Naval Academy to join the Marines and entered flight training in 1940. In 1942, he attended the USMC Command and Staff School in Quantico before going to San Diego where he was instrumental in establishing VMF-217. The squadron trained in the F4F and was deployed in December 1943 to the South Pacific. VMF-217 transitioned to the F4U and flew combat missions in the Solomon Islands in 1944 against the Japanese at Rabaul, New Guinea followed by combat missions in the Mariannas. In October 1944, Col Miller took command of VMF-321. He remained in the Marine Corps until 1948 when he joined the Reserves. Col Miller earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses, 11 Air Medals and four battle stars during WWII.