WW2 Fallen - Percy Miller 25th Infantry Division + hall of fame baseball player

Pvt. Percy Miller served with these men of the 25th Infantry Division in the Philippines
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28462214&ref=acom
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/ASWAWlI2-kQCTXB1l4ZhLyNnB4nD6ue9UKFrg6T-19mKndzVNkcxSjk/

Percy Miller never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on September 25, 1917 in New York. His parents were also both born in New York. His father worked as a farmer. I am not sure if his father died or if his parents divorced, but by 1930 his mother had remarried and his stepfather was also a farmer. Percy had an older sister and two older brothers. He also had two younger sisters and two younger half-sisters. By 1940 Percy had completed a sixth grade level of education and lived at home while working as a handyman.

He enlisted in the army on April 14, 1943. He became a private in the Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. Pvt. Miller joined the 25th ID as a replacement and was part of his unit's engagement in Luzon, Philippines. Pvt. Miller died on March 16, 1945 while fighting the Japanese in the Carabello Mountains.

His grave is at Pine Bush Cemetery in Kerhonkson, New York.

Thank you Percy for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Percy.

Phil Rizzuto

Also born on September 25, 1917 was the hall of fame New York Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto.
His career as a Yankee was interrupted when he enlisted in the Navy from 1943 to 1945 where he continued to play baseball.

Navy sailors and former MLB players Pee Wee Reese, Phil Rizzuto, and Hugh Casey.
Pee-Wee-Reese-Phil-Rizzuto-Hugh-Casey-Navy-1-1000x719.jpg 

After the war, Rizzuto returned to the Yankees where they won 10 AL pennants and 7 World Series with him playing shortstop. He was the AL MVP in 1950 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

He died in 2007.

Among the fallen there were doubtlessly many athletes who could have set records and achieved hall of fame careers. Instead they rest in mostly forgotten graves.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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Join the public Facebook group WW2 Fallen 100