Plaza outside Wheaton school renamed to honor fallen soldier
They came to remember Rob Miller's sacrifice and his courage, to reminisce about the life of the fallen Army sergeant and honor those who will inevitably follow his path into military service.
Dozens of family, friends and well-wishers gathered Friday at St. Michael Catholic Church in Wheaton to participate in a memorial Mass and dedicate a plaza in his name outside the church-run elementary school.
Miller, a 2003 Wheaton North High School graduate, died Jan. 25 during a firefight near a border town in northeast Afghanistan.
He joined the military shortly after high school and became a Green Beret in 2005. The following year, Miller's special forces detail was deployed to Afghanistan along the Pakistani border.
"He was someone who stood in the gap for us so we could have the freedom to worship here together," U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam told the audience. "And friends, that is a great gift."
Miller's friends recalled a man who strove to constantly challenge himself to become better at what he did.
Among the bevy of awards and citations Miller received during his brief Army career was the Army Commendation Medal for Valor.
Steven Kinsley, a Navy petty officer and one of Miller's elementary school classmates, read the narrative that accompanied Miller's reception of the Bronze Star.
"One of the first things I saw in him was his lofty ideals," said Chad Downie, Miller's high school gymnastics coach. "Rob did live life to the fullest and seized the day."
Many in attendance joined the congregation at the corner of Wheaton Avenue and Willow Street to dedicate a small plaza outside St. Michael Elementary School. A plaque will be mounted in the plaza to honor Miller and St. Michael parishioners serving military tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As schoolchildren looked out of their second-floor classroom windows and speakers paused occasionally for a passing Metra train, Miller's father thanked the audience for remembering his son's service.
"We've suffered a terrible loss," Philip Miller said. "But it seems we've been given more than our fair share. It's important to remember this (plaque) is on behalf of all the military who sacrificed for our country."