Irving “Bob” Miller celebrated his 102nd birthday on Dec. 7, but the Bellmore-born World War II veteran still travels through the rooms of his life — from Jones Beach and Bellmore classrooms to the decks of Navy ships — and draws crowds when he talks.
“I went to my local library, and they gave us this whole room, and I was telling my story about World War II,” said Miller, who now lives in Maine, “and I was surprised that they were so interested.
“That engagement is what really keeps me going, being able to tell people about what happened during World War Two,” he added. “It’s just amazing.”
He has carried that impulse from his youth when he joined the Junior Naval Reserve at 13 to classrooms and community centers decades later He is determined to have listeners understand what he lived through.
Miller’s path began in Bellmore and ran through the Depression to Brooklyn before the Navy called.
“When a lot of boys joined the Boy Scouts… I joined the ‘Junior Naval Reserve,’” he recalled. The choice led him to machinist school, boot camp in Newport, Rhode Island, and then to the sea.
Boot camp left a lasting impression: the Riot Act, shots, a haircut, and the odd intimacy of bunking on historic ships. He remembered sleeping “in hammocks” aboard the USS Constellation, where the low beams meant he “constantly hit [your] head.”
Miller joined the Navy before the attack on Pearl Harbor and spent the next six years serving on 11 ships. He sailed on vessels ranging from the 1854 sailing ship USS Constellation to aircraft carriers including the USS Ranger, USS Charger, USS Suwannee, USS Chenango, USS Kalinin Bay, USS Casablanca, and USS Tulagi. He participated in the Battle of the North Atlantic, Operation Torch in North Africa, Guadalcanal, the Invasion of Southern France, and a series of Pacific invasions, including Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Iwo Jima, the Ryukyus, and Okinawa.
Along the way, he experienced the extremes of naval life — spending time in the brig, surviving kamikaze attacks, sinking a German U-boat, and even flying into the eye of a hurricane aboard a B-17. Much of his service included directing planes on carrier flight decks, a high-pressure task that required quick thinking and nerves of steel.
He was honorably discharged in January 1947 with the rank of Petty Officer third-class petty at 23.
Gary Glick, commander of Jewish War Veterans Post 652, has been a longtime advocate for forgotten veterans like Miller. Glick stayed connected with Miller over the years, helping to ensure his story is not lost.
“He said to me, ‘thank you for not forgetting about me.’ For me… it feels — I don’t even have the word — it feels so good,” Glick said, reflecting on his interactions with Miller.
Glick emphasized the importance of recognizing veterans who might otherwise be overlooked.
“I try to get this out because people like him — they’re forgotten, and I wanted to make sure he’s recognized,” he said.
Miller’s commitment to remembering is not theatrical.
“I have 18 medals, and I wear them to every event that I go to, and I let everybody know that I’m proud of all these medals, but I don’t wear them for me. I wear them for all those that never came home,” he said.
