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Contact Info
Home Town Denver
Last Address With VO-67 deployed in SE Asia.
Captain Milius' remains are actually Missing in Laos.
This Sailor has an (IMO) In Memory Of Headstone in Harlington Cemetery, Waverly, Iowa.
On February 27, 1968, an OP-2E Neptune (bureau number 131484) with a crew of nine took off from Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, on an armed reconnaissance mission against targets southwest of Ban Karai Pass, Khammouane Province, Laos. The aircraft was flying low over its assigned target area when it was struck by enemy anti-aircraft fire, causing an explosion and fire that filled the flight deck with smoke.
The pilot ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft before it crashed. Of the nine crew members, seven safely exited the aircraft by parachute and were subsequently rescued. One crew member was wounded when the plane was hit and was last seen, unmoving, still inside the aircraft as the other crew members bailed out.
The pilot was last seen at the aircraft's rear hatch and was not observed successfully bailing out. The survivors believed that neither the pilot nor the wounded crew member exited the aircraft, and both were lost in the crash. Search teams investigated the crash area but could not locate the two missing men.
Other Comments:
Commander Paul Lloyd Milius entered the U.S. Navy from Iowa and was a member of Observation Squadron 67. He was the pilot of this Neptune when it crashed on February 27, 1968, and attempts to recover his remains have been unsuccessful. While carried in the status of MIA, the Navy promoted CDR Milius to the rank of Captain (CAPT). Today, Captain Milius is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.
NAVY CROSS
Awarded posthumously for actions during the Vietnam War
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Captain [then Commander] Paul Lloyd Milius, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism on 27 February 1968 as an Aircraft Commander in Observation Squadron SIXTY SEVEN (VO-67). During a combat mission in Southeast Asia, Captain Milius' aircraft received multiple hits from 37-mm. anti-aircraft-artillery fire during a run over the assigned target. Immediately, the aircraft burst into flames, several members of the crew received injuries, and dense smoke and fumes filled the fuselage. Remaining at the controls to insure stable flight, Captain Milius ordered his crew members to bail out. As a result of his action, seven of his nine crewmen were rescued within three hours of bail-out. Rescue flights, however, were unable to locate Captain Milius. His heroic efforts and inspiring devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. General Orders: Authority: Navy Department Board of Decorations and Medals, Action Date: February 27, 1968, Service: Navy, Rank: Captain, Company: Observation Squadron 67 (VO-67), Division: Khon Phnom Airport, Thailand
NAMESAKE: USS MILIUS (DDG-69)
DDG 69 is named in honor of the Navy pilot Captain Paul L. Milius. On 28 October 1995 the United States Navy granted Commander Paul L. Milius exceptional recognition by naming the first Navy ship for a POW/MIA from the Vietnam War in his honor.
Warship Milius's motto, "ALii Prae Me", or "Others Before Myself", was chosen to reflect the Personal ethic held throughout Captain Milius' military career and his selfless act under fire.
Other Memories Commander Milius volunteered for duty in the newly established Observation Squadron SIXTY SEVEN (VO 67). The new unit utilized converted P-2V aircraft, now known as the OP-2E, heavily armored and fitted with advanced land detection systems, for ground reconnaissance missions. The squadron deployed to Khon Phnom Airport in Thailand in 1967 and immediately began flying surveillance missions in the vicinity of the Ho Chi Min Trail. At 1157 local time on February 27, 1968, Commander Milius and the crew of his OP-2E aircraft were on an operational surveillance mission over Laos when the aircraft was hit in the radar well by a large explosive projectile, presumed a 37MM antiaircraft fire. One crew member was mortally wounded by the initial blast and fire broke out in the aircraft. As it became clear that the aircraft could not be saved, Captain Milius took the controls from the pilot, Lieutenant Bernie Walsh, and gave the crew the order to bail out. Captain Milius continued to control the aircraft to enable his crew to escape. Of eight surviving crew members of the initial blast, all but Captain Milius were safely rescued on the ground by the 37th Air Rescue Recovery Squadron Jolly Green Giants. Although Captain Milius was seen exiting the burning aircraft, heavy enemy fire in that area led to search efforts being discontinued before he could be recovered. He was subsequently declared Missing In Action in Southeast Asia in 1968. Captain Milius' status was changed to Presumed Killed In Action ten years later. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross in 1978.