Millard P. Arthur
Biography: Millard Paul Arthur, “Artie”, was born on September 7, 1915, in Ticonderoga, Essex County, New York. He was one of six children born to James Henry Arthur and Harriet Maude Porter. His draft card, signed October 6, 1940, and the 1940 census indicate he was working as a clerk at the A&P Grocery Store in Ticonderoga.
Service Time: Artie entered the Army on May 6, 1942, at Fort Dix, New Jersey. It was during his early training that he qualified as an Expert with the rifle and his military occupation was Rifle NCO 745.
He was eventually assigned to Company C of the 607th Tank Destroyer Battalion. While they originally trained with M10 tank destroyers, the unit was converted to a towed battalion, utilizing the M5 3” gun, on December 15, 1943. Arriving at Liverpool, England, on April 21, 1944, they continued training. Company C landed at Utah Beach, Normandy, France on June 23rd. They supported the advance on Cherbourg, fighting along the Seves River in July. They joined the drive to Le Mans and envelopment of the Falaise Pocket in August where on the 16th, Sergeant Millard was lightly wounded at Nonant le Pin. They advanced to the Moselle River in September where he was wounded again on the 27th, this time at Ste Marie aux Chenes, and supported operations against Metz through November. Artie received shrapnel wounds to his legs, which would continue to surface the rest of his life. The unit converted to a self-propelled battalion equipped with M36 tank destroyers in time for the final assault on Metz.
Continuing the drive toward the Saar River, they participated in the attack on Saarlautern followed by the subsequent fight against the Siegfried Line in December. The unit was deployed to the Ardennes sector in January, 1945 and again committed against the Siegfried Line in February in the Schnee Eifel. Supporting the capture of Koblenz, Germany in mid-March. they crossed the Rhine River at Boppard on March 25. The unit continued to drive east through Hessen and Thüringen during April and reached the Czechoslovak border near Plauen by mid-April. Thereafter, they remained in defensive positions until VE Day.
Artie was awarded the Purple Heart, with Oak-Leaf Cluster, Good Conduct and World War II Victory medals. He was also awarded the EAME medal with credit for the campaigns of; Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe. Artie came home and was discharged at the rank of Sergeant at Fort Dix on October 20, 1945.
Little is known of Artie’s life after his return to the U.S. In early 1947, he married Margaret Mary Arthur who was born in Bay Ridge, Kings County, New York. She was the daughter of Francis J. Arthur and Abigail Veronica McGillicuddy. The couple had three children, Peter, Patrick and Gail.
Millard passed away on June 21, 1967 and was buried in the Weehawken Cemetery, North Bergen, Hudson County, New York. We would like to thank the Arthur family for providing the photos.
