.“He was one of only two students his senior year that were selected by the faculty to attend Boy’s State in Austin and learn first hand about state government,” recalls his mother, Nell Miller Smith, who now lives in Huntsville, Tx.
He continued his education at Texas Tech University where he spent four years in the R.O.T.C Program. During this time he got his desire for flying and to be a pilot. Also, this is where he met his future wife, Susan Rothrock. They were married before he finished college.
Dan graduated from Texas Tech and R.O.T.C as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U. S. Air Force in 1968. Ironically, it was also the same day his brother, Kent, graduated from Palacios High School.
After graduation, Dan was stationed at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio for Intelligence Training. This is where he and Susan became parents to a daughter, Christine Danell, born in September 1969.
He subsquently achieved his great ambition to become a pilot while stationed at Reese AFB in Lubbock. He was eventually assigned to fly an AC-130, a large cargo plane that was re-designed to be a gun ship. While stationed in Florida, he was promoted to Captain.
In late 1971, Dan was sent to Southeast Asia to serve in the Vietnam War. He was stationed at Ubon AFB in Thailand.
On March 29, 1972, with a crew of 14 and flying over the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos at about 3 a.m., the plane was struck and brought down by a surface-to-air missle.
“’Beepers’ were heard that indicated some of the crew had survived the crash. However, after daylight when planes from the base went back to search for survivers, none could be found,” said Nell. “There was hope that the men had gone into hiding in the jungle or had been captured.”
Since that time, the Miller family has spent much time, energy, and money traveling all over the United States, especially to Washington D. C., meeting with elected officials and military personnel trying to find information about the fate of their son and husband.
Dan’s father, along with 51 other family members with a missing loved one, even made a special trip to Laos for information. Laos had promised the release of all U.S. military prisoners-of-war (P.O.W.) in the Fall of 1973 when their ‘special’ government was established after the war.
Unfortunatley, this group of 52 returned home very disappointed because the government of Laos stated that it did not have any P.O.W.
“We knew in reality that they did have American P.O.W. because some prisoners were able to escape,” said Nell. “They stated addional live Americans were being held when they escaped.”
Sadly, Dan’s father, Paul, died in August 1974 never knowing the fate of his son.
Nell feels that she lost two men to what she calls “that senseless war”. Paul died with heart problems that Nell feels were a result of a “broken heart” due to Dan being M.I.A. and Paul feeling helpless in being able to find his lost son.
Also, Dan’s only brother, Alan Kent, has died since he became missing.
A “Freedom Tree”, dedicated to the return of all P.O.W and those missing in action in Southeast Asia, was planted on the grounds of Palacios High School by his classmates in 1973.
Over the many years Dan’s mother and sister, Paulette, have kept yellow ribbons tied to that beautiful growing tree. “We were praying and hoping for Dan’s live return,” Nell said.
Dan is survived by his wife Susan; daughter Christy Miller Hollerich; granddaughter Madison Hollerich; mother Nell Miller Smith; sister Paulette Miller Mumme and husband Bruce; sister-in-law Theresa Miller; and five nieces and one nephew.
After 38 years of having been listed as “Missing In Action” (MIA) as a result of the Vietnam War, the family of former Palacian and PHS graduate Major Curtis Daniel (Dan) Miller has recently been notified by the U.S. Air Force that his remains have been found.