U.S.S. SLC...USN...Dale "Doc" Radford Miller, GM3c

Dale R. Miller passed away on Sept. 13th, 2002

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Mar. 11, 2011

Dale Radford Miller, known to shipmates as “Doc” because his first initials were DR, was born on August 13, 1921 and died September 13, 2002.

He enlisted in the navy during the War from his birthplace and hometown, Manassa, Colorado.

He served as Gunner’s Mate. Like many veterans who have seen a lot of action, he never talked about his experiences, and no one pried; we all knew that the navel battles had been horrific for him. On coming home, he spent three weeks in the veteran’s hospital for Post Trauma Stress Disorder.

The only story we have about Dale comes from his younger brother, Tom, who was serving on the USS Rockingham. Tom saw the USS Salt Lake City come into a port where the Rockingham was docked. Tom asked, and was given permission to board the USS Salt Lake City and look for his brother. Tom found him ---asleep by his gun, because he had been up all night.

Dale never married. On returning home he went back to the thing he loved most, working with horses. He was a true “Horse Whisperer”. He had a genius for breaking wild horses and, in his early years, rode in the Rodeo. He was a Ferrier (shod horses) by trade, a master with a lasso, and artist at hand-tooling leather. He was the favorite of his nieces and nephews because he was a true cowboy and had a cowboy’s understated sense of humor to match. His family all called him “Buddy”.

Angeline Miller Henrie, sister