Mike Miller
World War one was a war unlike any other. There were a lot of firsts and a lot of lasts. World War One, was the first war to be fought on three continents, using things such as chlorine, mustard gas, and flame throwers. On the other hand, there were a lot of lasts for the soldiers. A total of 116,516 men who died fighting for our freedom.

When your average American thinks of war and soldiers dying, he or she thinks of those soldiers dying in barrle. When a soldier dies, whether in battle of not, it is a great honor. In World War One, people died from things such as battle, disease, accidents and many other ways.

During World War I, the Spanish Influenza cost many people their lives. Spanish Influenza nearly doubled the amount of deaths. In 1918, there was a pandemic of Spanish Influenza, killing more people that the war itself. An estimated 675,000 people died from the flue during this time.

Private Mike Miller, son of Mr and Mrs R. Miller died at Camp Dode, Iowa on October 9th, 1918. At 23 years of age, Spanish Influenza was the cause of his death. Mike had enlisted in the signal corps the June before, and had been stationed at Camp McArthur in Waco, Texas.

World War I was a tragedy for many people. Thousands lost their lives, leaving many thousands without their loved ones. We need to honor those who rendered the supreme sacrifice to their country. Mike Miller was a great man who did a very honorable thing, dying to save the freedom of those he loved and for future generations.

Stephanie Steuck, Student
East Junior High, Wisconsin Rapids

World War I started in August, 1914, and ended in November, 1918. The total number of casualties involved in World War I climbed up to thirty seven million. The total number of military personnel deaths on all sides hit a total of nine million seven hundred thousand. That is not including all of the wounded soldiers. They were all fighting for one good reason, to serve and protect their country.

There was a great need for soldiers in the army, this rung a bell in Mike Miller from Marshfield’s mind. According to the Marshfield Times, he enlisted in June of 1917. There was big news in the town, on November 17, 1917. Private Mike J. Miller was home for a ten day furlough from Waco, Texas. It wasn’t a good thing for him to be home, for he was appearing in court as a witness. He will be there on his own behalf in a suit for damages. Earlier that year he struck a man on the head with a sharp object causing a large gash to the head.

Mike J. Miller had joined the military when he was twenty two. He spent his first few months training in Camp Dodge, Iowa for the signal corps. He went to school in Marshfield and graduated from a business college. It is said in the Marshfield Times that “his abilities would have been put good use in the as soon as he got out of the military”.

Mike Miller sent his mom a message early morning on Wednesday, October 1918. It read, no mom should have to give their son to their country but is a duty. He was sure that she will never regret signing her name to his enlistment papers last April. He promised he would come back, and would come back a man. Mr. and Mrs. R. Miller received word late evening that Wednesday, that there son had died at Camp Dodge, Iowa. He died from the Spanish influenza.

Mike J. Miller was brave enough to fight for his country at a young age, so I support him all the way. I support all the young men that joined the army to fight for there country. He took a big sacrifice signing his enlistment papers. I am sure he new the conditions he was going into and was glad he got the chance to fight for his country. I now will not forget Mike J. Miller who fought to save our freedom for this country.

Alex Dove
East Junior High School