Commissioning
The USS Miller was a member of the Knox-class of frigates. She was named in honor of Cook Third Class Doris “Dorie” Miller, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Miller survived the attack but was later killed while serving on the USS Liscome Bay, which was sunk by a Japanese submarine in November 1943.
The contract to build the Miller was awarded to the Avondale Shipyards of Westwego, La., on Aug. 25, 1966. Her keel was laid down on Aug. 6, 1971; she was launched on June 3, 1972. She was commissioned on June 30, 1973.
Underway
After the completion of her shakedown cruise, the Miller was homeported at Newport, R.I., and joined the ranks of the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet. During her career, she would make multiple deployments to the Mediterranean Sea, to serve with the 6th Fleet, and to the North Atlantic. She also made a voyage into the Black Sea, making a port of call in the former communist nation of Romania in the early 1980s.
In late 1979, the Miller was deployed to the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf as part of a large U.S. task force assembled in response to the seizure of the U.S. Embassy and the holding of American hostages in Iran. She would remain in the region until March 1980, when she returned to Newport. In 1984, she received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for outstanding performance over the previous two years. She also received two Battle “E”s for outstanding combat preparedness, in 1976 and 1983.
The Miller was transferred to the Naval Reserve in 1982 and served only in the Western Atlantic and Caribbean for the remainder of her career. She was underway in the summer of 1985 when Petty Officer 3rd Class Mitchell Garraway stabbed Lt. James Sterner to death in a passageway. Garraway, who later attempted to escape from the brig at Newport, was found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Decommissioning
The Miller was decommissioned on Oct. 15, 1991 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on Jan. 11, 1995. She was sold as a hulk to Turkey in 1999 and was sunk during a live fire exercise in 2001.
Characteristics of the USS Miller
Propulsion system: 2 – 1200 psi boilers; 1 geared turbine, 1 shaft; 35,000 shaft horsepower Length: 438 feet (133.5 meters)
Beam: 47 feet (14.4 meters)
Draft: 25 feet (7.6 meters)
Displacement: approx. 4,200 tons full load
Speed: 27 knots
Armament: one Mk-16 missile launcher for ASROC and Harpoon missiles
one Mk-42 5-inch/54 caliber gun
Mk-46 torpedoes from single tube launchers
one 20mm Phalanx
CIWS Aircraft: one SH-2F (LAMPS I) helicopter
Crew: 18 officers, 267 enlisted
Career:
Awarded: August 25, 1966
Builder: Avondale Shipyard, Westwego, Louisiana
Laid down: August 6, 1971
Launched: June 3, 1972
Acquired: April 13, 1973
Commissioned: June 30, 1973
Decommissioned: October 15, 1991
Struck: January 11, 1995
Motto: Courage-Devotion
Fate: sold to Turkey as a hulk (July 19, 1999); subsequently sunk as a target in the Turkish Seawolf 2001 naval exercise June 2001
Timeline:
August 1966: Contract to build the USS Miller awarded
August 1971: Keel of USS Miller laid down
June 1972: USS Miller launched
June 1973: USS Miller commissioned
January 1984: USS Miller receives Meritorious Unit Commendation
October 1991: USS Miller decommissioned
Crewmembers of the USS Miller:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Miller can be found on the unofficial navy website at: http://navysite.de. This list is compiled by former crewmembers that voluntarily register. Some quoted comments from former crewmembers are listed below; many more are available on the source website at the following Web address:
http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=ff_1091
Albert Erdmann Jr. (served October 1985—September 1989): “Had some of the best times of my military career onboard the Miller! I had the pleasure of serving from 85-89 during which the Miller won blue E for supply excellence on it’s way earning it’s battle E award!!”
Timothy Hawkins (served January 1986—January 1989): “I miss my troops from the killer Miller.”
Jeff Williams (served March 1986—November 1989): “My first ship and the best! Always have great memories of my times on Miller!”
Links:
http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=ff_1091
http://www.combatindex.com/mil_docs/pdf/opnav/1600/1650.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Miller_(FF-1091)
http://www.ussmillerde1091.com/apps/forums/topics/show/328987-murder-on-the-miller-an-article-i-found?page=last
