Willard Dwight Miller

Seaman, U.S. Navy

Medal of Honor Recipient

Spanish-American War

Seaman Willard Dwight Miller (5 June 1877 - 19 February 1959) was a U.S. Navy sailor who received the U.S. military's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his heroic actions during the Spanish-American War.

Willard Dwight Miller was born in Maitland, Nova Scotia, on 5 June 1877. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy from the state of Massachusetts and served during the Spanish-American War as a crew member of the gunboat USS Nashville. On 11 May 1898, he took part in a small boat operation that cut the underwater telegraph cable off Cienfuegos, Cuba, and received the Medal of Honor for his conduct during the action (the Battle of Cienfuegos).

Miller's younger brother, Harry Herbert Miller, was also awarded the Medal of Honor for the same action, making the two men one of only eight pairs of brothers to be awarded the medal.

Miller left the Navy in 1906 and later served in the U.S. Lighthouse Service.

Medal of Honor

Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy

Citation: On board the USS Nashville during the operation of cutting the cable leading from Cienfuegos, Cuba, 11 May 1898. Facing the heavy fire of the enemy, Miller displayed extraordinary bravery and coolness throughout this action.

Death and Burial

Seaman Willard Dwight Miller died on 19 February 1959 at age 81. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in Section 46, Lot 15.