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Jack Millard passed away peacefully on April 8, 2017, at the age of 94. He was born, a twin, near Georgetown, Texas on February 25, 1923 to Frederic Syke Millard, age 44, and Allie Montgomery, at 39 as the 10th of 11 their children. He was part of the Greatest Generation, a survivor of World War II and he lived by these seven lessons: Take Personal Responsibility for Your Own Life Be Frugal – if it didn’t work, fix it yourself or do without it Be Humble – did not talk much about World War II or about his former wives or life Love Loyally – actually courted his wife(s), kept dates and made commitments Worked Hard – stayed with the job until it was done or the mission was accomplished Embrace the Challenge – challenges shaped you, made you who you are, built character Don’t Make Life So Complicated – live simply, eat real whole food, do not exercise, just worked around the house, dressed sharp but not fussy, go dancing, and stayed focused on the task at hand. He was always mechanically inclined, and talking about machines was only one of the few ways to gain a window into his past. When Jack was old enough he joined the Army as a Tank driver for the SV 740th tank division. They spent several months practicing in the sand dunes in their M4 Sherman tanks near Yuma, AZ preparing for the Ramel North African conflict. However, fate would land him squarely in the D-Day Invasion in France for World War II on June 6, 1944. The ‘tankers’ were not sent in at the Normandy or Omaha beaches, but through Cherbourg, France, south of the beaches, so the tankers could get behind the German guns along the beach heads and knock them out. He learned right away that war was bloody and starred down at death in so many instances he lost count. The M4 Sherman tanks were no match for the German tanks which were bigger and better equipped. In the bloodiest battle of all, the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 through January 1945, Jack and his tankers managed to out maneuver the Germans and won the battle, but at a great loss of men. They went on into Berlin and freed 5 concentration camps along the way. In the end, millions of people were killed in the war and left Klonie with memories that haunted him the rest of his life. As a man, he stood 6 feet tall, but upon his discharge, he was 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 134 pounds, obviously not quite done growing yet. After the war, he grew 2 more inches reaching manhood. So many of our soldiers, sailors and airmen of that generation were still trying to reach manhood, but were sent to free the world from Nazi aggression. He had joined when he was 19 and was released January 15th, 1946, while he was still only 22 years old. After the war, Jack returned to Texas, then moved to Washington State as a hero, an engine mechanic and looking to settle down. While working in Washington, he met and married Ardis Frankland; they had their only daughter Toni. Jack returned to Texas and his roots after Jack and Ardis’s marriage ended. Jack remarried in Texas, not long after Ann passed away, from breast cancer. Jack met Virginia “Ginger” Denton in San Antonio and was married a third time on the 7th of July in Las Vegas, NV. They lived the retiree life and enjoyed the simple life in San Antonio, dancing with friends twice a week and visiting with friends and relatives. In 2009 Ginger had a full stroke and never recovered. He is survived by his daughter – Antoinette (Toni) Bradshaw, two step sons – Larry (wife Susan) and Terry (wife Kay) Denton, 8 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, plus his younger brother Fred Millard (wife Jeanne).

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Klonie B. "Jack" Millard

February 25, 1923 - April 8, 2017