Otis R. "Bud" Miles

Otis "Bud" Miles died on Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006, at Deaconess Hospital in Spokane from natural causes. "Bud" was born Feb. 7, 1925, in Polson, Mont. to Joseph Alfred (Fred) and Pearl Miles of St. Ignatius, Mont. He was an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes.

When he was 18 years old he joined the Navy at Columbia Falls, Mont. Through his thirty years in the Navy he served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam and became a world traveler. He started out at boot camp at Farragut Falls, Idaho where he served until August 1943. He was then assigned to the USS Arneb in the South Pacific. After a stretch with the Tiensen Boat Pool in China he was assigned to the U.S. Naval Hospital until his discharge in April 1946.

He met his wife to be, Mary Maxine Mikel in December 1945 and married her on Jan. 10, 1946. They were married for 51 years before she died in 1997. "Bud" re-enlisted in the Navy in March of 1948 and together he and his bride traveled to Seattle where "Bud" was assigned to the USS Toledo, then to Guam, to the USS Helena, the USS Columbus, to Bremerton, to Great Lakes, Ill., to Morocco, the USS Amphion, and to the Terminal Navy Post Office in Yokohama, Japan. While in Japan he was assigned to the Saigon Air Mail Terminal to set up a ship's locator, receiving a special Air Force Commendation for his work there.

After a brief return to the states he was assigned to Vietnam for two years and then to Naples, Italy for another two years before assignment to Seattle as a recruiter. He then moved to Moses Lake, where he was a recruiter and also worked for the United States Post Office until he retired in 1973.

"Bud" was also known for his great sense of humor. One of his favorite sayings was "I had to leave the reservation to become a chief." This was accomplished by becoming Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy.

He is survived by his son Bob and wife Cindy, of Burns, Ore. and daughter, Mary Lou and her husband, Mike Hardy of Ephrata, sisters Dora Morrow of Whitefish, Mont., Marie Ardis of Dixon, Mont., and Louise Ambrose and her husband William of Kalispell, Mont. He will be missed by his good friend, Patsy White of Moses Lake and by numerous friends and relatives. "Bud" was a long-standing member of the Eagles, VFW and the American Legion.

Cremation has taken place and a memorial service with military honors is held in Moses Lake later this spring. "A Celebration of Life" takes place at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 at the American Legion Hall at 538 Broadway in Moses Lake.