05/25/2026
Memorial Day honors the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. At the Centerville Cemetery on Maple Avenue, more than 100 veterans rest beneath the trees across its ten quiet acres. Among them is Orville Miller, a Centerville farm boy who answered the call to serve in World War II.
Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941, Miller was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. In June 1944, his division landed at Utah Beach on D‑Day. He fought his way ashore and helped the 22nd Infantry Regiment secure a foothold that would prove critical to the Allied advance. For the next three weeks, he and his fellow soldiers pushed inland, clearing enemy positions and ultimately capturing the deep‑water port of Cherbourg, a vital objective for sustaining the invasion.
On July 7, the 22nd Infantry entered what became known as the Battle of the Hedgerows, a brutal struggle through the dense, maze‑like fields of Normandy. During the fighting, Miller suffered severe wounds to his chest and arm. He was evacuated to a hospital in England, where he died of his injuries on July 14, 1944.
Originally buried overseas, Orville Miller's body was later brought home to Centerville, where he now rests among neighbors, family, and fellow veterans. His sacrifice, like that of so many others, endures in the quiet dignity of the cemetery and in the gratitude of the community he left behind.
