Archive Record
Metadata
Object ID |
1994.25 |
Title |
Leonard Miller by Laura Quackenbush Mar 1994 |
Scope & Content |
Leonard Miller was born in Peshawbestown, MI. Attended school in Mount Pleasant, MI. He is a Member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. Mr. Miller relates his experiences while serving in the Navy (in the Pacific) during WW II. He trained as an electrician, but worked for the mail service, primarily in Manila. After returning to Michigan, he worked for Frigid Foods in Suttons Bay. Listening copy: cassette tape Leonard Miller - Personal History WWII Experience - interviewed 12-29-1994 by Laura Quachenbush. Topics discussed: Growing up in Peshawbestown, Government Indian School in Mt. Pleasant, World War II Experiences, Working at Frigid Foods Suggested topics for another interview: History of Leelanau Indians including Grand Traverse Band, efforts toward recognition and early years. Leelanau Voices Oral History Project - Biographical Data Sheet Leonard Miller 3216 N.W. Bayshore Dr. Suttons Bay, MI 49682 Children: Kenneth (1944) graduate MSU, taught mathematics; Jean Ann (1944); Janet (1957) Education: Mt. Pleasant Indian School, Mt. Pleasant, MI; Landreau Indian School, South Dakota Work Experience: Detroit - Auto Industry; Suttons Bay - Frigid Foods (38 years) Organizational Memberships: VFW-Little Finger Chapter Length of residence in Leelanau Country: Lifelong except for schooling, WII, and brief outside work. Where: Peshawbestown Community Activities: Member, Tribal Council - 12 years Special Knowledge: Welding, Electrician, Musician Date of Contact: 23 March 1994 (interview) by Laura Quachenbush Interview : 1994.25.01 - subject - brief personal history, WWII experience The following is the Oral History Index by Laura Quachenbush: Tape 1 Side A 000 Introduction 009 Date of Birth 112 Mother's name Susan Miller 114 Father's name Archie Miller 020 Parents were Odawa 022 Attended Mt. Pleasant Indian School, 2-9th grade 029 Family was poor, Leonard and sister Esther sent to boarding school 036 Leonard was next to oldest child 040 Received better education and less discriminatin at Mt. Pleasant 047 Subjects studied 053 Delivered mail at school 058 Transportation to and from school by train and car 068 Played trumpet in band, started 6th grade 076 Performed in music contests, at games 085 Went to Landreau Indian School in South Dakota 090 Learned gas welding at school 093 Graduated in 1936 096 Worked in Detroit at Dodge Main and Fisher Body, Dodge truck plant 110 Had good training at Landreau, he was a good welder 117 Entered service in May 24,1944 121 Had work exemption (making exhaust dollector rings for B 17's and B 29's at FisherBody) 130 Was drafted in Navy 135 Was married in 1941 to Eleanor Ance (from Peshawbetown) 149 Basic training at Great Lakes. It was nothing new to me because I practically grew up in 149 the government boarding schools. I got along ok...It was really no hardship at all. 164 Great Lakes was indoctrination, no special training, 6 weeks 189 Went to Iowa State College for intensive electrician's course 240 Learned to like it, his education had prepared him well. "one thing about being in the service. If you want to get through the training, its pretty hard if you're not in the upper 10% of your class. They don't want to train anyone that wouldn't be able to absorb what they're being trained for." 213 Was Valedictorian of class (as he had been at Mt. Pleasant and he had been Co-Valedictorian at Landreau) 222 Course was 16 weeks 224 After electrician's school assigned to San Francisco Naval Landing Force Equipment Dept. at a converted race track 244 Storage area for LST's and LFM's and PT's 246 Worked on crew that laid cable at base 260 Was at base in September 1944, for 6-8 months 724 Played in dance band there, trumpet and trombone 287 Played at dances in army and navy bases in area and USA 297 Got shore pass and could come and go as he wanted 307 Band had 12 pieces, 3 singer 320 Made 6 records, "I Should Care" was popular 331 (Leonard sings "I Should Care") 362 The sidewalks were high, needed them in rainy season 386 Went to Philippines on Dutch freighter 400 Bunks were 6 high, the highest bunk was to best 407 Ran into rough weather, didn't get puked on the highest bunk 420 Didn't know what they were going to do when they arrived 428 Didn't travel in convoy 439 Were in transit 30 days, men exercised, played cards, read..gambled 451 Was some worry about what was to come 469 Ship had guns and radar, did some practice firing 477 Landed and was stationed in dispersal area Tape 1 Side B 000 Landed in liberated zone, 2 days before they landed 003 Still pockets where they were still fighting 006 Lot of men around who had been fighting 110 Civilians glad to see Americans 116 Was in mail delivery service, Went to a lot of areas, Went into may civilian homes 029 Didn't use his technical knowledge 040 Delivering mail to army, marine and navy bases or ships 047 Four men on this detail carried firearms 052 Many Japanese in prison camps 055 Delivered mail for 6-8 months 057 Lived in APL (living quarters, ship) 066 Got mail off ships, always a lot of mail, lots of packages 076 Came home 078 Post office service based in Manila 082 Ran into Julius Ance in Manila. He was a cook in the Wilson Bldg. in the "walled city" 091 Went to lunch one noontime 096 Best food on the steamers in the harbor, liked that part of it 106 Got together a few times 109 Typical Navy food 117 Three times a week they got beans - liked them 127 The food was good 139 War over 3 or 4 months before he got there 146 Went into the North China Sea on the way home. One day went only 24 miles (storm) 153 The men were gay on the way home, glad to be coming home 159 Glad to be back on American soil 162 Discharged within 3 days 166 Family party when he got home 172 Eleanor had stayed in Peshawbestown during the war 179 His discharge said his complexion was "ruddy" from the tropics 185 Got back in February, hot tropics to winter 192 Went to work in Traverse City for Cherry Growers, sheet metal work, maintenance for couple three years 203 Worked for Frigid Foods when they started in 1947? 215 Worked for Frigid Foods for 38 years, until they shut down (1986) 224 Enjoyed working at Frigid Foods, automated a lot of their canning lines -- design and the work 232 First one to automate any canning lines 244 Frigid did hot pack cans of #303 and #2 cans 267 Many people from Peshabestown worked there, cherry time and apple time 278 Chippie Smith was manager, Keith Smith after Chippie 305 On military experiences "It was a job that had to be done, and you did and came back, and ...You were called in and you did as you were told and when they were through with you, you came back home 315 "I am proud to have been in the service" 319 It told me that people were the same all over the world. I went to the Philipines and went to a banana plantation, people were picking bananas and the younger ones were throwing rotten bananas at each other. And then there were times when we were picking cherries and kids were throwing cherries at each other it was the same thing it was a like situation so they were the same, it makes you feel like people are people no matter what their race and color. 336 Father worked in woods in winter, in summer whatever he could. Fished for the family. Fished with a hook and line, 300 feet of line. 354 Eleanor was a talented woman, head cook at Leelanau Memorial Hospital for 12 years. 363 Names of children: Kenneth (oldest) 1941, went college, went in army at Whites Sands, also math teacher 399 Daughters: Jean Ann (1945) and Janet (1951) 422 "I believe I was treated better being a Native American than if I had been White. When you get away from home areas of Indians, you are treated a lot better than you are being at home. In Detroit I was treated very well. I imagine there was some discrimination. In fact I was treated better when they found out I was Indian." In the country ( ) There was a higher percentage of who went into the service because they ate better, and lived better then they did at home. 483 Medals: earned American Theater, the Pacific Theater, and the Victory Medal The obituary of Mr. Leonard Miller from the Leelanau Enterprise Thursday, October 27, 2005 is included in file. |
Object Name |
Audiocassette |
File Link |
Click here to listen to part one of the oral history Click here to listen to part two of the oral history |
Narrator's name |
Leonard Miller |
Interviewer |
Laura Quackenbush |
Date |
December 1994 |
Extent of Description |
Also included is obituary from The Leelanau Enterprise, Thursday, October 27, 2005 |
People |
MILLER, LEONARD/ |
Search Terms |
Pacific Theater/Peshawbestown/ Peshawbestown Mount Pleasant, Michigan Ottawa Chippewa Native American Oral History WWII Miller, Leonard. WWII. Peshawbestown. Frigid Foods Pacific Navy/European Theater/ |
Collection |
Leelanau Voices Veteran's History Collection |
Accession Number |
1994.25 |