Saline County celebrates Veteran of the Month, Lee Miller

He never sought recognition for his 23 years of service, but this month, it found him. The Saline County Veterans Service Office honored Miller as April’s Veteran of the Month. 
Miller was born in Ottoman, Iowa, and joined the Air Force on June 4, 1957, after graduating from high school. He was stationed in Libya for two years, Vietnam for one year, Japan for one year, Alaska for three years and then spent the remainder of his time at the Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha.
Miller said staying in the Air Force was the best decision he has made.
“I enjoyed it,” he said. “The Air Force is like a well-run business.”
After he returned from Libya in 1961, Miller attended United Service Organizations events at the Lincoln Air Force Base. Nurses in training went to the events for dancing every once in a while, which is how Miller met his wife, Sandra.
Sandra was the daughter of Albert and Vivian Kahl in Crete. The couple married in 1963 and had three children.
The Millers lived in Omaha for a few years after Miller’s service ended on Dec. 3, 1979. Then, in 1986, the couple moved about a mile and a half from Kramer, near Sandra’s sister, where they built a home and had a small farm. Miller moved to Doane Village after Sandra passed 10 years ago.
Veterans Service Officer Scott Davis recognized Miller as the Veteran of the Month and presented him with a plaque at the Saline County Courthouse on April 1.

“I read about the Vet of the Month in the paper every month when I see it, but I never thought I'd get it,” Miller said. “I was really surprised.”
Miller said he enjoyed getting to meet the people on the Saline County Board of Commissioners and receiving such a nice plaque.
“It was a very nice little ceremony there,” he said. “I was really pleased with it.”
Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Ron Cerveny nominated Miller for the honor. He said he nominated Miller for the award not only because of all the interesting places he has served and all the time he spends as an active member of the VFW but also because he is a gentleman and one of the nicest guys he knows.
“He’s a gentle soul, and the world needs more people like him,” Cerveny said.
Cerveny said he enjoyed watching Miller be recognized. 
“It choked me up a little bit seeing it,” he said. “It meant a lot to him, and it meant a lot to me for him to get it.”