‘Plank owner’ looking for shipmates

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Tiffin resident Mike Houck is on a mission. He is organizing a reunion of sailors who served on the U.S.S. Miller.

"Two weeks ago, there was like two guys," Houck said of his efforts. "Now we're up to 20, and the word is spreading. I expect a pretty huge turnout actually for this."

Houck recently created a Web site for U.S.S. Miller plank owners and shipmates. Houck is a plank owner. A plank owner of a ship was a member of the crew at the time the ship was commissioned. Houck was a crew member of the U.S.S. Miller at its commissioning in 1973. The Web site can be found at www.ussmillerde1091.com.

The destroyer escort was named for Dorie Miller, an American naval hero from Pearl Harbor.

Miller, a black man, entered the navy in 1939 as a mess attendant. During his naval career, Miller served as a mess attendant and cook.

During the historic 1941 Pearl Harbor invasion, Miller took charge of a 50 caliber Browning anti-aircraft machine gun and fired at enemy aircraft until he ran out of ammunition. Miller received the Navy Cross, the third highest award available in the navy. He was the first black man to receive the citation, according to Wikipedia.

Miller died in 1943 when the warship on which he was then serving was sunk by a Japanese submarine.

Miller's heroics at Pearl Harbor gained him a place on recruiting posters and his actions were dramatized in a radio series and as part of two motion pictures. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. portrayed Miller in the film "Pearl Harbor."

Houck said he believes the U.S.S. Miller was the first U.S. naval ship named for a black American hero.

Houck is a native of Tiffin who graduated from Calvert High School. He now works as a project manager for a heating and air conditioning firm in Toledo. Choosing Tiffin as the location for the U.S.S. Miller reunion was easy for Houck.

"It was most important for me to pick Tiffin because it's a great place to live," Houck said. "If we can call attention to Tiffin, maybe this is the first of many reunions. Maybe they make it a point to have them here every year. It's got so much to offer. Beautiful river , scenic hills. Tiffin Amvets is one of the best places as far as what they do supporting veterans. They just jumped on board and said, 'what can we do? How can we help you?'"

The reunion is to be held at the Tiffin Amvets May 8-9.

Miller said the ship had a regular crew of about 200. The ship was launched in 1972, commissioned in 1973 and decommissioned in 1991. Houck said crew members changed about every two years, so nearly 2000 men may have served on the vessel.

The U.S.S. Miller was distinquished in another way, Houck said.

"The boat used to have a band when it was first commissioned," Houck said. "A bunch of guys who were musicians ended up forming this band. Through different ports we went through they ended up playing. After all these years they have all graduated on to this, that or the other, and a couple of them put out albums. One of them just about got signed to a major record deal out in L.A., playing professionally for quite a few years. These guys are just pumped about getting back together. It's just part of the impetous to get the reunion together."

Houck said band members are expected to take part in the reunion and play for the group. A practice session is part of the schedule for the reunion week events.