#fightforfred

" Mr. Miller’s interest in firearms began at the age of nine and overlapped with his interest in history. By the time Mr. Miller joined The United States Navy, he had acquired a sizable collection of firearms, several he still owns today. Mr. Miller will tell you that each firearm has a unique history, beginning with its manufacture and use to how he came to acquire the item. Mr. Miller’s life work has included: consulting for firearm manufacturers, firearm retail, owning and operating indoor shooting ranges, teaching and training, and manufacturing firearms and component parts.

Mr. Miller was THE right person to ask. He had those items in his collection because of his personal interest in firearms and history and had been a collector since the age of nine. No one else could have provided, and no one else stepped up to provide, a collection of firearms and knives to help the Museum in the early days have a “professional weapons display".

Mr. Miller was in the unique position to answer Capt Olson’s call that winter of 1985. A firearms enthusiast since the age of nine, turned life’s work, Mr. Miller had those items to loan to the museum because of his affinity for firearms, and their history. Each piece of his collection has a unique story, for example, museum inventory item: “85.85.2 One (1) H/K Suhl Luger Parabellum, Ser. #---” (Receipt, 1986, p. 1), in Mr. Miller’s own words: “That gun came from Normandy Beach…it was picked up by somebody after the beachhead was taken. I went to High School with the boy that found it, ‘cause it was in his back yard. That particular pistol was made for the Luftwaffe…and it crashed in this boy’s backyard and it stayed back there well…till about 1955. I believe he said he came to the United States in 1955”, the “85.85.4 One (1) Smith & Wesson 45, MOD 1917 revolver, Ser #----” (Receipt, 1986, p. 1), in Mr. Miller’s own words: “…it was leftover from WWI…I bought that one out of the back of a comic book”, and “85.85.28 One (1) Blaster’s knife (very rare)” (Receipt, 1986) “I’ve owned that knife since 1968, and it was given to me by one of my UDT instructors, Tom Blais”. It is long overdue that The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum return Mr. Miller’s personal property. "

-   BETRAYED OVER 30 YEARS

Mr. Miller declined an invitation to Little Rock Central High School, Class of 1962, 55th-year reunion in 2017 in lieu of attending Muster. He shares his reasons for choosing Muster over his high school reunion, and a few stories about growing up in Arkansas related to his interest in firearms from a young age. 

In Mr. Miller’s own words...