The Inspirational Story of US Army Col Lewis Millett | Korean War Medal of Honor Recipient

Welcome back everyone.  On this episode of Duty & Valor, you’ll hear the story of a man who was so focused on a military career that he would enlist while still in high school.  A man who wanted to fight fascism in Europe so badly that it led him to desert from the US military and join the Canadian Army.  A man who would go on to fight in three wars while becoming one of the most decorated Army Soldiers in US history.  This is the story of Medal of Honor Recipient US Army Col. Lewis Millett.  

Born in Mechanic Falls, ME on Dec. 15th, 1920, Lewis was one of five children born to parents George and Elsie Millett.  At a young age, his parents got divorced and his mother remarried and moved to Dartmouth, MA with the children.  

Lewis came from a proud military family.  His grandfather served during the Civil War and an uncle served during WWI.  He grew up listening to the stories of their service and he knew from an early age that he would also serve.  While he was still a senior in high school he joined the 101st Field Artillery of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, the same unit that his uncle served in during World War I.  

In 1940, after graduating High School, Lewis joined the US Army Air Corps and was sent to gunnery school.  He held a strong belief that the US should enter WWII.  Initially there wasn’t much support for the US to enter the war and by mid 1941 it looked like the US would be sitting it out.  This led to Millett making a big decision.  

Wanting to fight against the growing fascism in Europe, he deserted from the Army Air Corps.  He, along with a friend, hitchhiked to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Army.  There he was assigned to the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery and was sent to London as an anti-aircraft radar operator during the Blitz.  

By this time, the attack on Pearl Harbor had drawn the US into the war and Millett wanted to get back into the US Army.  He made his way to the US Embassy and turned himself in.  Not much was made of his desertion at this time and he was placed in the 1st Armored Division.  

Millet and the 1st Armored Division were sent to Tunisia and they were part of Operation Torch, which was the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942.  

There he was an anti-tank gunner.  During the fighting a half-track vehicle, which was loaded with ammunition, was hit by the Germans and caught fire.  The vehicle was dangerously close to Allied soldiers so Millett jumped into action.  He got into the driver's seat and drove it away from the other men and was able to jump off it just before the ammunition caught fire and exploded.  For that selfless act, he was awarded the Silver Star for valor in combat.   

Soon after, it was atop another half-track, this one armed with an anti-aircraft machine gun where Millett shot down a Messerschmitt fighter plane that was attempting to strafe their position.

By Sept. 1943, Millett was now a sergeant and was part of the fighting in Italy at the Battle of Salerno and then at the Battle of Anzio, in Jan. 1944.  It was around this time that his desertion was finally being addressed by the Army.  He received a court-martial and was convicted for desertion.  As the Army knew of the quality of the man, and the reason for his actions, Millet was only fined $52 and wasn’t allowed to take any leave.

In 2009, his brother Albert was quoted in a Boston Globe article that “he didn’t give a hoot about the leave privileges because he wasn’t going anyway, but he was a little annoyed about the 52 bucks”.  His brother also said the reason the Army finally prosecuted him was to clear this from his record, which would allow for further promotions.  Millett would go to receive a battlefield commission to second lieutenant, just weeks later.  

After the war, Lewis returned to Maine and joined the Maine National Guard.  He attended Bates College in Lewiston for three years before being called back to active duty in 1949.

By 1950, Millett was a Captain and serving in South Korea during the Korean War.  On Dec. 5th, he was an observer aboard a Stinson L-5 Sentinel single engine plane, along with its pilot, when a F-51 Mustang of the 18th Fighter Bomber Wing, piloted by Captain. J.F.O. Davis was forced to crash land in North Korea.   The pilot of the L-5 put his plane down on a road near the downed aircraft in an attempt to rescue the downed pilot.  They were able to retrieve Capt. Davis, but there wasn’t room for all three men aboard the L-5, so Millett bravely gave up his seat.  

Now alone, and surrounded by nearby enemy fighters, Millett had to find a place to conceal himself until the L-5 returned to retrieve him.  The L-5 eventually returned to the area but the pilot couldn’t find any trace of Millett.  The pilot remained in the area in an attempt to find him, and just before nightfall he finally did.  He put the plane down and Millett jumped aboard and they returned to safety.

A few months later in Feb.1951, Millett was in charge of Company E of the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry.  His unit had been attacking a well-fortified enemy position at HIll 180 near Soam-Ni, South Korea for two days when on the 7th, one platoon got pinned down by heavy enemy fire by the Chinese.  Seeing this, Millett took personal command of another platoon and led them forward where they connected with the pinned down platoon.  

After taking pressure off of the men, he didn’t stop there.  He then led both platoons on an attack up the hill.  It was reported that the enemy were sure that the Americans weren’t willing to engage in close combat.  Millett had read the same report and he, and the men of the two platoons, were about to prove them wrong.  

In what would become the last major bayonet charge in American military history, Millett fixed his bayonet and gave the order to his men to do the same.  He then yelled words of encouragement at his men as he led the attack from the front.  

As soon as the men began their charge they came under intense enemy fire from elevated positions, which isn’t where they wanted to be.  Undeterred, Millet led his men forward while throwing grenades and firing at the enemy with his rifle.  When the opposing fighters were too close to easily reload or wield their rifles at each other, the close combat started.  

Millet himself began to bayonet and club enemy fighters with his rifle.  His actions inspired the men to do the same and they continued their advance up the hill, cutting down any man that stood in their way. 

Millett and the men were able to push the defenders off of the hill, losing nine men in the process.  The enemy had suffered far more casualties.  It was reported that about 100 Chinese died defending their position.    

During the attack, Capt. Millett was so far in front of his men that he had to avoid both enemy and friendly grenades being thrown at each other.  It was reported that he was able to avoid being hit by eight grenades before a ninth exploded next to him.  He received shrapnel wounds to his back and legs, but he refused medical evacuation until he felt the hill was properly secured.  The actions of the men led to the hill being renamed Bayonet Hill. 

For his actions that February day, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.  And on July 5th, 1951, President Truman bestowed our Nation’s highest military honor upon Capt. Lewis Millett. 

While in Washington DC for the ceremony, Capt. Millett met Winona Williams.  The two began a relationship and would eventually marry and have four kids together.

After the Korean War, Millett attended Ranger School at Ft. Benning, Georgia.  He went on to serve in the 101st Airborne Division as an intelligence officer.  During the Vietnam War, Millett served in a variety of training and advisory roles to both US and Allied forces. He even helped to found the Royal Thai Army Ranger School.

He also went on to command the Army Security Agency at Ft. Devens in Massachusetts.  

In 1973, Lewis Millett finally retired from the US Army at the rank of Colonel.  Among the awards that Millett earned in service to our nation were 2 Air Medals, 4 Purple Hearts, 3 Bronze Stars, 3 Legion of Merit, a Silver Star, and the Medal of Honor.

Following his time in the military, he would become a deputy sheriff in Trenton, TN before moving to California.

In 1985, Lewis and Winona’s son John, who was a staff sergeant in the Army, was aboard a military aircraft that crashed in Newfoundland, Canada.  He, along with 255 other passengers and crew died when their plane stalled on takeoff and crashed a half mile from the runway.

Lewis Millett passed away on November 14th, 2009 at the VA Medical Center in Loma Linda, CA. and he is buried at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA.

Lewis Millett was a man of courage, leadership, and sacrifice.  He was the last American soldier to lead a bayonet charge in combat, and his actions on that day were nothing short of heroic.  He showed incredible bravery and determination in the face of overwhelming odds, and he inspired his men to follow him into battle.

Millett's legacy is one of inspiration. He showed us that anything is possible if we have the courage to never give up.  He is a true American hero, and his story will continue to inspire generations to come.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Duty & Valor.  If you have not done so already, I kindly ask you to leave a review and follow us wherever you're listening, as this small act helps us reach a wider audience.

For those interested in learning more about Col. Lewis Millett, I've provided links to all sources used in today's episode in the show notes and on our website, dutyandvalor.com.  Don't forget to join us for our next episode where I’ll tell the story of another true American hero.