Services for Lt. Col. Billy H. Miller (USAF Ret.) of Brookhaven are going to be held on Thursday at 10 a.m., Aug. 23, 2012, at Riverwood Family Funeral Service, with burial in Riverwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be held on Aug. 22, 2012 from 5 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

     Lt. Col. Miller, 81, passed away Aug. 19, 2012 in Hammond, La. He was born in Amite, La., on Dec. 13, 1930 to Truman and Myrtle Miller.

     He was a graduate of Louisiana State University.

     Lt. Col. Miller met his wife Carol while he was stationed at Sewart Air Force Base in Nashville, Tenn. They were married in 1956 while he was on leave from the Air Force.

     He was a veteran of the Vietnam War where he flew 316 combat missions. Before retirement he was a chief pilot of the 68th Bomb Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. He received many awards and decorations which included: The Distinguished Flying Cross, The Meritorious Service Medal, Six Air Medals, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Medal with Bronze Star, Armed Forces Expedition Vietnam Service Medal with Five Bronze Stars, Armed Forces Outstanding Unit Award, The Air Force Longevity Service Award with Three Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, The Air Force Reserve Medal and The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

     He retired from the United States Air Force in 1974 after a 20-year military career. After retiring from the Air Force he had another 20-year career with the United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. He retired from the USDA in 1994. He was active in the Brookhaven noon day Lion’s Club, the Institute for Learning in Retirement, and the Lincoln County Soil and Water Conservation District. He served as a deacon and active member of First Baptist Church Brookhaven. He was a former member of the Brookhaven Air Port Board and the Lincoln County Forestry Association.

     Preceding him in death were his parents, and his twin brother, Bobby Miller.

     Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Carol; his daughter Darian Hoyt Miller and husband Richard of Sarasota, Fla; and his son Keith Miller and wife Del of Bradenton, Fla.; along with seven grandsons: Charles, Cody, Seth, Noah, Mason, Greydon and Blake. He also was survived by brother-in-law Dexter Douglas and wife Rosemary of Hardin, Ky.; sisters-in-law, Freda Miller of Amite, La., and Beatrice Spring and husband Bruce of Paris, Ky.; and several loving nieces and nephews.

     Memorials may be made to Baptist Children’s Village, First Baptist Church Building Fund or The Hospice House in Hammond, La.

     To leave a comment to the family, you can do so at riverwoodfamily.com.