3d BCD, Korea, honors association chapter namesake

FA Journal, March, 2002

On 9 February 2002, the 3d Battlefield Coordination Detachment (BCD), Korea, and VFW Post 180 hosted the Hill 180 Memorial Ceremony. The 500 attendees included COL Lewis L. Millett, US Army, Retired, and GEN Thomas A. Schwartz, CG, USFK. The annual ceremony honors those brave American soldiers who fought, and especially those who died for freedom on Hill 180, more than 51 years ago.

On 7 February 1951, then CPT Lewis L. Millett, Easy Company, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, was leading his company and two tanks toward Hill 180. Chinese troops, who occupied the hill[s] crest, opened fire. Millett leaped onto a tank and began returning fire with its .50-caliber machine gun. The gun jammed.

Millett raced through heavy fire to his 1St Platoon and ordered his soldiers to [ ] Fix bayonets! We[ ]re going up that hill! [ ] Millett led the charge so far in front of his men that he had to dodge grenades thrown by both sides.

Although seriously wounded in the back and legs by grenade fragments, he continued to urge his men onward shouting, [ ] Kill [ ] em with the bayonet! [ ] Jumping into a trench near the hill[s] crest, he killed three Chinese soldiers with his own bayonet.

When the fight ended, E Company had taken the hill and nearly 100 enemy soldiers lay dead, at least 30 of them killed by bayonets. Only nine US soldiers were killed. CPT Millett received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Truman at the White House on 5 July 1951.

The 3d BCD and VFW Post 180 hold an annual ceremony to honor the participants in this fierce battle. Following the ceremony, which included a wreath laying at the Hill 180 monument, a flyover by eight AH-64 Apache helicopters, a rifle salute and taps, the 3d BCD dedicated the COL Lewis L. Millett Memorial Room in the unit[s] headquarters. The FA Association charter for the recently formed Millett Chapter adorns the conference room wall. COL Millett took particular pride in pointing out the fact that he was a field artilleryman who served as a forward observer in World War II and Korea prior to taking command of E Company.

The chapter hosted the First Annual Cold Steel Run the day after the ceremony, and COL Millett presented the awards. The COL Lewis L. Millett Chapter[s] president is COL Mark A. Graham.