One WWII veteran shares his story on the 80th anniversary of VE Day

Harry Miller, a seasoned of the Army and Air Force, is pictured successful the room of the Armed Forces Retirement Home successful Washington, D.C. Marine Robbins/Armed Forces Retirement Home hide caption

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Marine Robbins/Armed Forces Retirement Home

On May 7, 1945, Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces. The adjacent day, astatine the insistence of the Soviets, Germany signed a 2nd surrender papers successful Berlin, which became known arsenic Victory successful Europe Day, oregon VE Day.

Although World War II was not yet implicit — Japan continued to combat the United States and its allies successful the Pacific — Germany's capitulation marked a captious infinitesimal for the American troops who had been battling Nazi forces connected the continent.

Harry Miller, a soldier successful the 740th Tank Battalion, was successful the lakeside municipality of Schwerin successful bluish Germany erstwhile his portion got the news.

"Some of america laic down and went to sleep," helium recalled. "Some of america were patting each different connected the back. Some were shaking hands. And immoderate conscionable couldn't judge it."

Now 96 and surviving astatine the Armed Forces Retirement Home successful Washington, D.C., Miller shared his communicative with NPR up of the 80th day of 1 of the astir pivotal days of World War II.

Growing up successful Columbus, Ohio, during the Great Depression, Miller attended section subject parades featuring veterans from the Civil War and World War I. "I ever wanted to beryllium with them, and for immoderate crushed I conscionable couldn't get implicit wanting to beryllium successful the service," helium said.

He joined the Army astatine property 15, telling the recruiter helium was older, and went done basal grooming astatine Fort Knox successful Kentucky earlier being sent to the erstwhile Fort Ord successful California. From there, Miller was sent disconnected to France successful the autumn of 1944, and spent immoderate clip moving betwixt assignments successful France and Belgium.

Harry Miller is seen successful his work uniform. The Ohio autochthonal joined the Army astatine property 15 and fought successful World War II. Marine Robbins/Armed Forces Retirement Home hide caption

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Marine Robbins/Armed Forces Retirement Home

Miller's portion played a cardinal role successful the biggest and bloodiest conflict ever fought by American troops, the Battle of the Bulge, which started successful December 1944.

In Stoumont, Belgium, soldiers cobbled unneurotic respective M4 Sherman tanks and an M36 vessel destroyer, Miller said. One time successful precocious December, the American forces encountered 3 advancing vehicles from the 1st SS Panzer Division and destroyed them. The Germans retreated.

"The connection got retired that we were a pugnacious small outfit due to the fact that successful our archetypal fractional hr of combat we stopped the 1st SS Panzer, which was rather a deal, truthful we became rather celebrated each of the sudden" helium said. "I was much amazed than thing because, knowing the information those tanks were that we enactment together, it was bad."

The 740th Tank Battalion fought its mode crossed the treacherous Siegfried Line — a lengthy German antiaircraft obstruction respective miles heavy that included concrete obstacles known arsenic dragon's teeth. It besides breached the barbed-wire fences astatine Wöbbelin, a subcamp of the Neuengamme attraction campy that was discovered by American troops connected May 2, 1945, Miller said.

Germany surrendered to the Allies connected May 7.

"I was 15 erstwhile I went in, 16 successful the Bulge. War ended. Two months later, I was 17. And I've ne'er regretted a time of it," helium said.

Miller coped with the seriousness of the warfare by maintaining a consciousness of wit and uncovering joyousness wherever helium could. "I recovered retired that you tin locomotion astir with a glum look oregon you tin spot the wit successful things," helium said.

Harry Miller speaks to respective radical during a sojourn to the World War II Memorial successful Washington, D.C. connected Memorial Day successful 2022. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption

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Carolyn Kaster/AP

That didn't mean ignoring the brutality astir him. Miller stayed successful Europe for different 3 years aft the war, allowing him to enslaved with chap work members and conscionable successful the evenings to commiserate astir their experiences. "You were discussing each these things that bothered people, and I recovered that it conscionable takes it each away," helium said. "You could spot immoderate drama successful that too, but you had to speech it out."

One facet that inactive makes Miller affectional is the representation of the attraction camps. After the warfare ended, helium visited the Dachau attraction campy and noticed grey residue connected the level of the crematorium. "I realized that it was the ashes of radical that they had burned up successful the ovens, and I broke down. I cried similar a baby," helium said. "There I was walking connected possibly thousands of bodies oregon parts of radical and not knowing it, and it truly got to maine each of the sudden."

Miller went connected to service successful the Korean War, and aboriginal helium joined the Air Force, serving successful the Vietnam War arsenic well. He retired with the fertile of elder maestro sergeant successful 1966.

Today, Miller says helium likes to stock his communicative to assistance others recognize the futility of warfare and hopefully animate them to forestall akin conflicts from happening again.

"I hope, I anticipation radical volition spot the futility of it all, due to the fact that look astatine Germany. Look astatine Japan. Look astatine Vietnam. Look astatine Korea," helium said. "Everything is beauteous implicit determination now, and it could've stayed that way, but no, we had to person a war."