Miguel Nava '17
On February 7, 2024 Captain Miguel Nava, USMC '17 was killed in a helicopter crash. Please consider a donation to his family to honor his service, and the incredible sacrifice of his wife and five-month-old son.

CLAIR L. MILLER, CDR, USN

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
Clair Miller '29

Date of birth: April 9, 1907

Date of death: January 21, 1945

Age: 37

Lucky Bag

From the 1929 Lucky Bag:

1929 Miller, C L LB.jpg

CLAIR LEMOINE MILLER

Marion, Indiana

"Clair"

HERE'S a Hoosier of whom any state might well feel proud. A serious nature, an exceptionally active mind, and a keen sense of humor, have made him a natural leader. He has led for four happy years. His leadership has not been confined to the classroom and social activities; the athletic field claims its share of his time, and here, also, Clair excels.

Football in the fall, basketball during the winter months, and lacrosse in the spring, each finds in him a player with a true master's form and touch. At the end of Youngster year he wore a sweater decorated with two N-stars, a record which few men have equalled. Basketball brought another, Second Class year, and the captaincy of this sport was added to his growing list of honors.

Clair has never had a nickname, for there are none to fit. His is a distinctive nature. A feeling of seeming coldness, which one has upon first meeting him, changes to a sincere friendship upon better acquaintance. His election to the office of Class President shows in what esteem he is held by his classmates; the esteem of men for one who is able to lead them and still not lose that feeling of class comradeship. The years by the Severn have brought him many sincere friendships; it is with deepest regret that we must say "Good-bye."

Basketball 4, 3, 2, 1; 1929 4; N* 3, 2; N 1; Captain 4, 1. Class President 2, 1. Football 4, 3, 2, 1; 1929 4; NA 3; N 2, 1. Gymkhana 2. Lacrosse 4, 3, 2, 1; N* 3; N 2, 1. N.A.C.A 2, 1; Secretary 2; Vice-President 1. Pep Committee 3, 2, 1. Four Stripes.

1929 Miller, C L LB.jpg

CLAIR LEMOINE MILLER

Marion, Indiana

"Clair"

HERE'S a Hoosier of whom any state might well feel proud. A serious nature, an exceptionally active mind, and a keen sense of humor, have made him a natural leader. He has led for four happy years. His leadership has not been confined to the classroom and social activities; the athletic field claims its share of his time, and here, also, Clair excels.

Football in the fall, basketball during the winter months, and lacrosse in the spring, each finds in him a player with a true master's form and touch. At the end of Youngster year he wore a sweater decorated with two N-stars, a record which few men have equalled. Basketball brought another, Second Class year, and the captaincy of this sport was added to his growing list of honors.

Clair has never had a nickname, for there are none to fit. His is a distinctive nature. A feeling of seeming coldness, which one has upon first meeting him, changes to a sincere friendship upon better acquaintance. His election to the office of Class President shows in what esteem he is held by his classmates; the esteem of men for one who is able to lead them and still not lose that feeling of class comradeship. The years by the Severn have brought him many sincere friendships; it is with deepest regret that we must say "Good-bye."

Basketball 4, 3, 2, 1; 1929 4; N* 3, 2; N 1; Captain 4, 1. Class President 2, 1. Football 4, 3, 2, 1; 1929 4; NA 3; N 2, 1. Gymkhana 2. Lacrosse 4, 3, 2, 1; N* 3; N 2, 1. N.A.C.A 2, 1; Secretary 2; Vice-President 1. Pep Committee 3, 2, 1. Four Stripes.

Loss

Clair was lost when USS Ticonderoga (CV 14) was struck by a kamikaze on January 21, 1945 while operating off Formosa. He was the ship's air officer and earned a Navy Cross (below) for this action.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Clair graduated from Marion high school in 1924. Spanish Club ’21, ’22: “M” Club; Football ’22, ’23; Second Team Basketball ’23, ’24; Baseball ’21; Fighting Forty ’23. Clair was a valuable asset to the grid team, as the man who threw the passes. His loss will be felt. On the football page: Miller tossed the passes. A sub last year, he produced the stuff this season and gained the position of quarter-back. His accurate hurling of passes paved the way to many touchdowns, and his work on defense was good.

Clair enlisted in the Navy in June, 1924. He attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Norfolk before earning entrance to the Academy through examination.

As a second-class midshipman at the Academy, Clair was also sub-commander of the regiment and president of the Academy’s Christian Association.

In April, 1934, Clair was one of 75 fliers in the long-distance mass flight from San Diego to the Panama Canal Zone.

He married Ruby Lee Bliss, and they had sons Barry, born in Virginia, and Dale, born in the District of Columbia. They later divorced. His second wife was Sylvia.

In 1910, his father Frank worked at the U. S. Glass Company in Marion. In 1920, he was a foreman at a box company in Center, Indiana. Clair’s mother was Maunta, and his brother was Harry.

His wife was listed as next of kin.

Photographs

Navy Cross

From Hall of Valor:

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Commander Clair Lemoine Miller (NSN: 0-62654), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession while serving as Air Officer on board Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. TICONDEROGA (CV-14), while deployed over Formosa, on 21 January 1945. Commander Miller repeatedly risked his life in directing and coordinating the Air Department crews in fighting fires and jettisoning bombs. With the ship under continuing air attacks he went to an exposed station to better direct his men. As the second suicide plane dove on the ship he ordered his men to take cover while he chose to remain on station, and lost his life in the resulting explosion. His great personal courage and outstanding ability were an inspiration to his officers and men. He was declared "dead" and his remains were buried at sea from the U.S.S. TICONDEROGA on 22 January 1945.

General Orders: Board Serial 2468 (September 9, 1948)
Service: Navy
Rank: Commander

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.

July 1929
Ensign, USS Florida

Others at this command:
October 1929
Ensign, USS Florida

Others at this command:
January 1930
Ensign, USS Florida

Others at this command:
April 1930
Ensign, USS Florida

Others at this command:
October 1930
Ensign, USS Florida

Others at this command:
October 1931
Ensign, Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 9F
January 1932
Ensign, Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 9F
April 1932
Ensign, Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 9F
October 1932
Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 9F
January 1933
Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 9F
April 1933
Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 9F
July 1933
Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 9F
October 1933
Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 9F
April 1934
Lieutenant (j.g.), Patrol Plane Squadron (VP) 9F
July 1934
Lieutenant (j.g.), Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B, USS Langley


Others at or embarked at USS Langley:
2LT Ernest Pollock '28 (Scouting Squadron 14-M)
October 1934
Lieutenant (j.g.), Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 3B, USS Ranger


Others at or embarked at USS Ranger:
LCDR Francis Maile, Jr. '15 (USS Ranger)
LT Samuel Arthur '20 (USS Ranger)
LT Robert Bedilion '22 (USS Ranger)
LTjg Robert Haven '30 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
LTjg James Kyes '30 (USS Ranger)
LTjg Alden Irons '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 3B)
ENS William Sisko '31 (USS Ranger)
2LT Robert Brown '31 (USS Ranger)
ENS Earle Schneider '33 (USS Ranger)
January 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 3B, USS Ranger


Others at or embarked at USS Ranger:
LCDR Francis Maile, Jr. '15 (USS Ranger)
LT Samuel Arthur '20 (USS Ranger)
LT Robert Bedilion '22 (USS Ranger)
LT Hallsted Hopping '24 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg Oscar Pate, Jr. '27 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg Robert Haven '30 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
LTjg Gilbert Carpenter '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg James Kyes '30 (USS Ranger)
LTjg William Freshour '31 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
LTjg Alden Irons '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 3B)
ENS William Sisko '31 (USS Ranger)
1LT Robert Brown '31 (USS Ranger)
ENS Earle Schneider '33 (USS Ranger)
April 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 3B, USS Ranger


Others at or embarked at USS Ranger:
LCDR Francis Maile, Jr. '15 (USS Ranger)
LT Samuel Arthur '20 (USS Ranger)
LT Robert Bedilion '22 (USS Ranger)
LT Hallsted Hopping '24 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg Gilbert Carpenter '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 1B)
LTjg William Freshour '31 (Bombing Plane Squadron (VB) 5B)
LTjg Alden Irons '31 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 3B)
ENS William Sisko '31 (USS Ranger)
ENS Earle Schneider '33 (USS Ranger)
October 1935
Lieutenant (j.g.), Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command:
January 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command:
April 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command:
July 1936
Lieutenant (j.g.), Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

January 1937
Lieutenant (j.g.), Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

April 1937
Lieutenant (j.g.), Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

September 1937
Lieutenant, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

January 1938
Lieutenant, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

July 1938
Lieutenant, USS Lexington


Others at or embarked at this command:
LT John Duke '26 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 2)
LTjg Charles Crommelin '31 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 2)
LTjg Robert Goodgame, Jr. '32 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
LTjg Burden Hastings '33 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LTjg George Klinsmann '33 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LTjg Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
January 1939
Lieutenant, USS Lexington


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg Charles Crommelin '31 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 2)
LTjg Burden Hastings '33 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LTjg George Klinsmann '33 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LTjg Thompson Guthrie, Jr. '34 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
LTjg Richard McGowan '35 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
October 1939
Lieutenant, USS Lexington


Others at or embarked at this command:
LT Charles Crommelin '31 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 2)
LTjg Burden Hastings '33 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 2)
LTjg Richard McGowan '35 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2)
LTjg Clyde McCroskey, Jr. '35 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
June 1940
Lieutenant, Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2, USS Lexington

Others at or embarked at USS Lexington:
LT Charles Crommelin '31 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 2)
LTjg Robert Fair '33 (USS Lexington)
LTjg Clyde McCroskey, Jr. '35 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
LTjg John Hunter '36 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
ENS Edward Price '39 (USS Lexington)
ENS Allan Wussow '39 (USS Lexington)
ENS Willard Sampson '40 (USS Lexington)
November 1940
Lieutenant, Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2, USS Lexington


Others at or embarked at USS Lexington:
LT Louis Shane, Jr. '26 (USS Lexington)
LT Charles Crommelin '31 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 2)
LTjg Robert Fair '33 (USS Lexington)
LTjg Joel Davis, Jr. '35 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 2)
LTjg Clyde McCroskey, Jr. '35 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
LTjg John Hunter '36 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
LTjg Thomas Edwards, Jr. '37 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
ENS Edward Price '39 (USS Lexington)
ENS Allan Wussow '39 (USS Lexington)
ENS Edward Seiler, Jr. '39 (USS Lexington)
ENS Willard Sampson '40 (USS Lexington)
April 1941
Lieutenant, Torpedo Squadron (VT) 2, USS Lexington


Others at or embarked at USS Lexington:
LT Louis Shane, Jr. '26 (USS Lexington)
LT Donald Lovelace '28 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
LT Weldon Hamilton '28 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 2)
LT Charles Crommelin '31 (Fighting Squadron (VF) 2)
LTjg Robert Fair '33 (USS Lexington)
LTjg Joel Davis, Jr. '35 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 2)
LTjg John Hunter '36 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
LTjg Thomas Edwards, Jr. '37 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
ENS Roy Hale, Jr. '38 (Scouting Squadron (VS) 2)
ENS Harry Bass '38 (Bombing Squadron (VB) 2)
ENS Edward Price '39 (USS Lexington)
ENS Allan Wussow '39 (USS Lexington)
ENS Edward Seiler, Jr. '39 (USS Lexington)
ENS Willard Sampson '40 (USS Lexington)

Memorial Hall Error

Clair's name is misspelled "Claire" on the killed in action panel at the front of Memorial Hall.


Class of 1929

Clair is one of 29 members of the Class of 1929 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

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