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Soldiers' dreams die with them in Iraq

Apr- 1-2004 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

[Link to Full Article]
By MIKE BARBER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

One grew up in the Seattle area and fulfilled his dream of winning appointment to West Point to become a career Army officer. Another grew up in New Jersey and overcame learning disabilities to graduate from high school and joined the Army, hoping to earn tuition to pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer.

Those dreams died in Iraq last month, one of the deadliest for U.S. forces there. First Lt. Michael R. Adams, 24, whose parents live in Leavenworth, and Pfc. Bruce Miller Jr., 23, whose mother lives in Orange, N.J., were killed in separate non-combat incidents. The two soldiers were the 20th and 21st servicemen with Pacific Northwest ties to die in Iraq -- a 22nd was killed in Afghanistan -- in the past year. Nearly 600 American soldiers nationwide have died since the Iraq war began March 19, 2003. About 200 of those deaths resulted from accidents. [...]

Miller, part of Fort Lewis' 5,000-member Stryker brigade that began a year of duty last December, died March 22 of a non-hostile shooting still under investigation. He will be buried with full military honors Saturday at Rosedale Cemetery in East Orange, N.J., after an early-morning wake and funeral. [...]

From New Jersey, Miller's family said in a statement through an Army liaison, "Our family is deeply saddened, and our hearts are heavy with grief. Junior was a kind, thoughtful and religious young man who loved his family and was interested in art, poetry and writing." [...]

In New Jersey yesterday, another educator, James Steel, principal of the Teaneck Community School, which specializes in helping kids with learning disabilities, spoke of the promise of a student he had known.

Steel recalled Miller as "a very hard worker who overcame a lot with his learning disability. While he wasn't an outstanding student, he was a thoughtful kid, someone you really expected would do something with his life that you would notice later."

Miller ran on Teaneck's track and field team. In 1999, he earned dual high school diplomas from Teaneck and Orange High School. His family said he was offered a scholarship to William Paterson University but decided to join the Army last January. He told them he wanted to go to college when his enlistment was over and had become interested in studying law.

"People are sad and have a lot of good memories," Steel said yesterday.

"Bruce was very energetic, had tons of enthusiasm and was very bright. He was just a really great kid, a full human being."


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