Wheaton North honoring Medal of Honor recipient

Students at Wheaton North High School soon will have a permanent reminder that one of their own paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 officials said Wednesday they'll rename the school's commons area for 2002 graduate Army Staff Sgt. Robert Miller, who died in Afghanistan in 2008 and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor last year.

Miller was killed Jan. 25, 2008, in a firefight with Taliban forces. Despite being wounded, he continued to advance, firing at the enemy and hurling grenades along the way. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama on Oct. 6.

“To hear that entire story of what he did on that day, it just blows your mind that someone would do that,” school board member Ken Knicker said. “We owe Sgt. Miller the renaming of our commons area to be recognized.”

A dedication ceremony will be held at the school during Veterans Day events in November. A seven-member committee was created in the spring to determine how to honor Miller. The committee included members of Wheaton North's and the district's staff, a Wheaton North parent, representatives of both the First Division Museum at Cantigny and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

First Division Executive Director Paul Herbert, who served on the committee, told board members that his goal during the process was making sure to come up with a fitting tribute that was respectful to the military and the soldier.

“The commemoration must be dignified and slightly understated because there are other members of the community who have died in this battle,” he said.

But the renaming of the commons area is not the only thing the committee accomplished. As part of its curriculum, teachers will include lessons that revolve around the six pillars of character often associated with the Medal of Honor. Additionally, a scholarship in Miller's name will be established at the school.

Phil Cecil, a 1986 grad who will establish the scholarship with an initial $5,000 donation, said he would be honored if his children followed in Miller's footsteps and that he hoped the scholarship inspires others — and that Miller's legacy lasts a long time.

“It meant a lot to me seeing what he did and I didn't want him to be just a name on the wall,” he said.