Bill Millard receives peace medal from South Korea

DESERT AIRE - William "Bill" R. Millard of Desert Aire was honored by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea at a dinner ceremony at the Spokane Hilton on Thursday, Nov. 6, for his service during the Korean War.

"It was the most spectacular thing I've ever been to," he said.

Millard was awarded the Ambassador for Peace Medal and Certificate by General Moon Duk-Ho. He served in the Army National Guard and the U.S. Navy from 1949 to 1955, helping defend South Korea from its aggressive communist neighbor, North Korea.

South Korea honored 250 U.S. veterans of the Korean War, and there were more than 500 people in attendance. Millard was the only man from his crew in attendance.

"It was amazing," he said. "I can't believe they served that many people at one time."

Millard had a steak - medium rare.

"I appreciated the general's words," he said. "He gave a great speech. He told us that, without the United States, there would be no free Korea."

Millard, 82, was accompanied by Desert Aire friend and neighbor John Jungers. He went along to help drive Millard home. Millard is no longer able to drive long hours, and his wife Mary no longer drives at night.

Millard was a submariner aboard the USS Volador. Under the cover of war, the U.S sent the Volador into Soviet waters near Vladivostok, Russia to spy.

Millard never really saw combat action, except when his boat was chased by Russian planes and destroyers.

"They depth-charged us a distance," he said. "They weren't trying to sink us, just get us out of there. Now they use subs to chase subs."

Millard, 82, doesn't know how many members of his crew remain living. He keeps in contact with one who resides in the Tri-Cities.

Millard joined the National Guard while a student at Ephrata High School, doing basic training and participating in summer camps. During one training period at Ft. Lewis, Millard witnessed the inside of a tank after it was hit by a bazooka and decided tanks weren't for him.

In 1952, Millard joined the Navy. After basic training in San Diego, he was assigned to the YOG-33, a yard oiler operating in the waters around Sasebo, Japan. He received on-the-job training to become an Engineman.

Aboard the YOG-33, Millard studied and was promoted to Third Class Engineman. He never missed a promotion, never received formal classroom training, but he was a hard working farm boy who studied all the materials the Navy provided.

In 1953, Millard volunteered for service in Submarines, attended Submarine School in New London, CT and was assigned to the USS Volador SS409, a Tench-class diesel-electric Submarine built in 1948. Volador was home ported in San Diego and spent countless weeks patrolling the waters of the western Pacific.

Millard left the Navy in 1955, enrolled in Central Washington College of Education (now CWU) and became a hydro-electric operator for Grant County PUD, from which he retired in 1986.

Millard is a member of the U.S. Submarine Veterans of Central and Eastern Washington. He is the commanding officer of the group's 16-foot long miniature Submarine, USS Yakima SSN509, which is towed in parades around central and eastern Washington.