The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the
NAVY CROSS MEDAL to
VERNON H. MILLER
FIRST LIEUTENANT, U.S. MARINE CORPS
K Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines,3rd Marine Division
Dates Of Action: Jul 21-22, 1944
Citation:
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to First Lieutenant Vernon H. Miller, United States Marine Corps (Reserve), for extraordinary heroism as a Machine Gun Platoon Leader of Company K, Third Battalion, Third Marines, THIRD Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Chonito Cliff, Asan-Adelup Beachhead, Guam, Marianas Islands, 21 - 22 July 1944. Assisting in the repulse of three strong enemy counterattacks against his company's position during the night of 21 July, First Lieutenant Miller organized a counterattacking force of eighteen men to meet a fourth large-scale Japanese predawn attack which had inflicted heavy casualties and forced a fifty yard salient halfway through the company's perimeter. Braving direct machine-gun fire, he led the attack against the hostile salient and, personally destroying two machine guns and killing at least eleven of the Japanese with grenade and rifle fire, directed his men in the recapture of the lost ground with minimum casualties in his own party and heavy losses to the enemy. Then, still under heavy fire, he directed the reorganization of his men, personally placing each automatic weapon. His courageous leadership, indomitable fighting spirit and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
