Family, friends grieve for fallen Marine

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Marine Cpl. Paul James Miller was laid to rest with full military honors Thursday in Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens Cemetery after funeral services at Lake Ann United Methodist Church. Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Crystal Thomas, left, and Amber Peters hold hands during the funeral procession of Marine Cpl. Paul James Miller on Veterans Drive on Thursday. The two took time from work nearby to honor the fallen Marine. Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
Janet Reed, of Traverse City, watches the funeral procession of Cpl. Miller. Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
People hold hands as they watch the funeral procession of Cpl. Miller. Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump

July 30, 2010

BY ALEX PIAZZA apiazza@record-eagle.com The Record Eagle Fri Jul 30, 2010, 07:16 AM EDT

LAKE ANN — Cpl. Paul James Miller was more than just a Marine.

He was an athlete, who once led his Lake Ann Little League team to victory over its rival with a triple in the final inning.

Miller, 22, of Lake Ann, was a beloved son, who often surprised his mother with Slurpees at work.

He also was a bit of a thrill-seeker, which sometimes prompted him to ignore the speed limit while behind the wheel.

All those traits led the 2006 Benzie Central High School graduate to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps months after he received his diploma.

Family members, friends and area veterans on Thursday paid their final respects to Miller, who died last week after a roadside bomb exploded nearby while he was on foot patrol with the Third Combat Engineer Battalion in Afghanistan.

"Our family is devastated by his death, but feel very proud of how brave he was," said his sister, Ashley Gavaldon.

Hundreds crammed inside the Lake Ann United Methodist Church, where a group of Marines presented Miller's family with a Purple Heart, a prestigious military award given to military members injured or killed in combat. A lengthy funeral procession, comprised of several motorcycles and American flags, traveled from the church to the Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens Cemetery, where Miller was buried.

Matthew Schoech waved his American flag along Veterans Drive as the procession entered the cemetery.

"I understood that feeling," said Schoech, a Traverse City Marine who served in the Vietnam War. "I feel like it was one of my own. They grieve for his loss, and we grieve as well."

Craig Metz often drives by the cemetery on work-related trips, so he decided to stop by and wave his American flag in honor of Miller.

"I get tears in my eyes even just thinking about it, and I didn't even know him," said Metz, a Kingsley Marine who served during the post-Vietnam era. "It's like part of your body's dying. I wanted to make sure I was part of this. Once a Marine, always a Marine."

Miller's passion for the Marines came shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks — he was 13. A former teacher said Miller would have enlisted in the Marines when he was 16 if he had the opportunity. Family members also knew after Miller's high school graduation that it was only a matter of time before he enlisted.

"Upon Paul graduating high school, there was no hesitation to join the Marines," Gavaldon said. "He didn't seem to even toss around the idea of doing anything else. He was adventurous and anxious of his deployment to Iraq, as well as Afghanistan."

His death stunned many communities across northwest Michigan, especially in Miller's hometown of Lake Ann where several residents knew him on a first-name basis. But the impact of his death prompted an outpouring of community support this week.

Several veterans and local authorities on Tuesday escorted a vehicle that transported Miller's remains from Cherry Capital Airport to Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in preparation for his memorial service. Scores of area residents lined the streets to honor him.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm also ordered that U.S. flags be lowered on Thursday throughout Michigan in honor of Miller's funeral services, as requested by his family.

Janet Toth never met Miller, but her husband's involvement in the military led her to drive several hours from her West Branch home to take part in the memorial service.

"I hope it's a comfort for them to know that we care for their son, and I hope it helps in their healing process," said Toth, who waved her American flag as a tribute to Miller. "Whatever we can do to help."

Miller is survived by his wife, Sarah, sister, Ashley, and parents, Jim and Teresa Miller.