1938 McHi Graduate Survived Pearl Harbor Attack

Noyce Millner -- 1937 McHi Yearbook Photo

John Noyce Millner, a 1938 McHi Honor Society graduate, was serving our country as a Radioman Third Class aboard the USS Detroit (an Omaha class light cruiser) on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese launched their infamous attack.

Millner's ship, which was moored at Pier F-13 on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, was one of the few ships that was able to evade the Japanese torpedos and bombs.

Click here to read his fascinating first-hand account of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Official U.S. Navy Photo of the Bombing of Pearl Harbor

Photo of the USS Detroit Taken After the Attack

Millner went on to serve another four years aboard the USS Detroit in the Pacific Theater of Naval Operations. After his military career, he worked for the Boeing Airplane Company from 1948 until 1983, when he retired.

In an e-mail sent to McHi in November 2001, Millner said, "My days at McAllen High School ... were the most formative as far as preparing me to meet the future uncertainties of life. In retrospect, I value them highly and consider myself indeed fortunate to have been surrounded by such an able and dedicated group of teachers. I lived with my grandparents in Hidalgo at the time and rode the bus to McAllen each day. My grandfather, Dr. John M. Hardy, was a U.S. Public Health Surgeon stationed at the International port of entry across from Reynosa."

Among the classmates he remembers fondly are: Frank Glendenning, Bill Holmes, Richard Rowe, and Abel Longoria.

The faculty, students, and staff of McAllen High School greatly appreciate Mr. Millner's e-mail and his permission to tell the story of his life.

Anyone wishing to contact Mr. Millner may write to him at: John Noyce Millner, 6101 257th St. E., Graham, WA 98338.

Return to Famous McHi Alumni Page

Page Views:
Last modified