One of many men in his close family with deep ties to the military, he earned a high honor for his service in the Vietnam War and now works to help his fellow veterans in Southeast Nebraska.

September's Jefferson County Veteran of the Month is Victor Miller.

Born in California and raised on a farm in Morrowville, Kansas, Miller's family moved to Fairbury in 1962. He was drafted into the Army in 1968 alongside three of his classmates from Fairbury High School. All four of them were assigned to the same floor of the barracks for basic training in Fort Lewis, Washington before Miller was ultimately selected for Non-Commissioned Officer School at Fort Benning.

After completing training in Georgia, Corporal Miller was assigned to Vietnam. He recalls being flown into Cameron Bay from Hawaii and flying on a Chinook helicopter. His service spanned multiple roles across the country and included a couple of reconnaissance missions in Laos. Miller served in active duty in Vietnam until October 1969, when he was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant, having earned the prestigious Purple Heart Medal for his service.

"I'd just like to thank everybody. It's been 56 years since we got out," Miller said Tuesday.

"I didn't think you were that old!" commissioner Michael Dux joked. 

"Well, I still got some hair, and I'm growing hair where I ain't supposed to," Miller retorted. "But I just want to thank everybody...it's quite a deal."

Miller's family has deep connections to the military which taught him firsthand, he said, that "freedom isn't free": while Vic was in Vietnam with the Army his brother Ron was in Newfoundland with the Navy. Their father served in World War II and two uncles served in Korea.

In civilian life Miller lived in several places in Nebraska and Colorado before ultimately returning to Fairbury, where he serves deceased veterans and their families as a member of the local VFW's Honor Guard.