Vietnam 1st Battalion
Erick Miller
I was born in Chicago, Dec. 1948. The first home that I remember was my Uncle Frank’s basement. Before that, my family lived on a bench in Humboldt Park in Chicago. From the basement, we moved to a Housing Project on the southwest side of Chicago. I went to high school in the suburbs. We moved on an average of once per year from the time I was nine until I went to college in Wisconsin in 1968. I couldn’t relate to the hippies and draft dodgers, so I loaned (translates into gave) my father the money I saved for the next semester and bummed a ride to El Paso to see the world before my inevitable draft notice showed up.
I was infantry all the way. I didn’t go to jump school but was proud to be sent up to Northern I Corps in Thua Thien Province with the 101st Airborne Nov. ’69-Nov. ’70. I served with B co. 1st Platoon 1/327th Infantry where I was a pointman. I made it home in one piece, much to my surprise.
I spent most of my working life doing roofing or carpentry, being a journeyman in both trades. In my adult life after the army, I’ve lived in Houston, Conroe, and El Paso, Texas. Also Phoenix, Glendale, Payson, and Wittman, Arizona. Wheeling, Fox Lake, Antioch, and Spring Grove, Illinois. Also Racine, Kenosha, Trevor, and Salem Wisconsin where I live now. I have lived in many of those places more than once and I am sure that I have left out some places. I’ve lived in a tent, a few empty houses, and slept on the floor or couch of friends and family.
I finally figured out that it was PTSD kicking my butt all those years. I have two children, four step children, thirteen grandchildren with another due in October, a good wife (my 4th) who’s been with me since Feb of 2005 and must love me ’cause we’ve been married over two years and she hasn’t left me. I live in Apache Junction, Arizona with my wife Mikki, HER two dogs, and MY four snakes.
I’m a writer now, horror, police mystery, and military stories. Two of my books, “Mother Warned You” and “Toll of War/Vietnam” were published in 2004. I hope to publish more soon. Use the link above to view some of my military stories as my Platoon mates, friends, and I lived them once upon a time, long ago and far away. We, too, were young soldiers once.
Erick W. Miller
