Rank: Specialist 4
Unit: Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 67N – Utility Helicopter Repairer
Awards: Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Unit awards: Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Note: UH-1H, Tail # 68-16387, Crew Chief
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 25-Apr-1951
Hometown: Altadena, California
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 29-Nov-1968
Start of tour: 6-Aug-1969
Incident date: 12-Apr-1970
Date of casualty: 16-Apr-1970
Age at death: 18
Cause of death: Hostile, died of wounds. Helicopter Crash — Crew (MC). Aircraft loss, crash not at sea.
Cleve Davis Miller died as a result of burns received while crew chief on a military aircraft on a combat operation when the aircraft was fired upon by a hostile ground force, crashed and burned. He was admitted to a military medical facility and later expired. / Crew chief on UH-1H on sniffer mission. Aircraft hit by hostile ground fire, crashed and burned. Admitted to 93d Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh, 12 Apr 1970 at 1135 hrs placed on Very Serious Injury (VSI) list 12 Apr 1970 at 1430 hrs and later expired. Incident occurred 12 Apr 1970 at 1000 hrs.
Four Blackhorse troopers died as a result of this incident:
CPT George Hartwell Adams
CPT James Mitchell Atchison
SP4 Dionicio G. Carrizales
SP4 Cleve Davis Miller
Location of fatality: Tay Ninh, South Vietnam, XT 570 864
Place of interment: Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, California, USA
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BRONZE STAR MEDAL
WITH VALOR DEVICE
POSTHUMOUS
SPECIALIST FOUR CLEVE DAVIS MILLER
11 APRIL 1970
AIR CAVALRY TROOP
11TH ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT
Specialist Four Miller distinguished himself by heroism in connection with ground operations against a hostile force on 11 April 1970 while serving as a gunner with the Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam. On this date while flying on a sniffer mission Specialist Miller’s helicopter began to receive- intense enemy ground fire. Despite the heavy fusillade that Specialist Miller put out with his machinegun, the craft crashed. Though Specialist Miller was incapacitated he directed the other gunner to find a clearing and attempt to signal a rescue craft. In spite of his mortal wounds, he was able to save the lives of two of the crew members. Specialist Four Miller’s actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.
Headquarters, II Field Force Vietnam General Orders No. 2093 (26 May 1970)