[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 108 (Wednesday, July 6, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S4821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING RON MILLER

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the life of Ron 
Miller for his dedication to our country and his fierce advocacy on 
behalf of the veteran community.
  Mr. Miller was born January 20, 1938, in West Ridge, AR. He graduated 
from Mississippi County High School in 1955. He was enrolled in ROTC at 
Arkansas State College and continued in the program after fulfilling a 
2-year requirement. He was one of 11 cadets at the school chosen to get 
their private flying license through an Army training program. After 
graduating in 1959, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. 
Army.
  He used the skills he learned at the Jonesboro Airport as the 
foundation for becoming an accomplished military pilot during his three 
tours in Vietnam flying a Huey helicopter gunship.
  Ron's helicopter was under constant hostile fire. He described his 
responsibility to the Jonesboro Sun as supporting ``the insurgence of 
troops, taking them out if they got injured in a battle with the enemy 
on the ground. It was what I trained to do, and we did it to the best 
part of our ability because it meant the survival of our troops on the 
ground. That's why we did it.''
  Among his military decorations are two Distinguished Flying Crosses 
and two Bronze Stars.
  After retiring from the military in 1980, Mr. Miller lived in 
Atlanta, GA. He became inspired to find a way for him and fellow 
Vietnam veterans to attend the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans 
Memorial in Washington, DC. Ron accomplished this by leasing a plane 
from Delta Airlines and flying nearly 300 Vietnam veterans to 
Washington to attend the dedication ceremony.
  His leadership gained the attention of President Ronald Reagan who 
appointed him executive director of the Georgia Vietnam Veterans 
Leadership Program, GVVLP, a State program that helped more than 3,000 
veterans find full-time employment. Under Ron's leadership, the 
organization received numerous accolades and was recognized by 
President George H.W. Bush, who presented Ron and the GVVLP with his 
prestigious Thousand Points of Light award for their service to 
veterans and their families.
  Ron brought the Vietnam war to the silver screen as the associate 
producer of ``Beyond Courage--Surviving Vietnam as POW,'' served as 
master of ceremonies for the world premiere of the Golden Globe winning 
HBO movie, ``Path to War,'' and wrote a book about his service 
``Vietnam Special Flight, Inc.''
  Mr. Miller served as the national veteran adviser for the National 
League of POW-MIA Families of Southwest Asia. He also had the 
opportunity to visit the recovery headquarters in Hawaii and Vietnam.
  He returned to northeast Arkansas in 2004 and continued his 
commitment to veterans. He established a scholarship for Arkansas State 
University cadets and volunteered at the Beck PRIDE Center, among other 
services to our veterans. He was inducted into the Arkansas Military 
Veterans' Hall of Fame in 2012. He spent his life showing the 
remarkable difference that one man can make.
  After a lifetime dedication to his country and his fellow veterans, 
Ron passed away on June 28, 2016, in Jonesboro, AR.
  Ron was a true American hero, not only for his heroic military 
service, but for the way he lived his life. He was a great example for 
myself and countless others. I offer my prayers and sincere condolences 
to his loved ones on their loss.

                          ____________________