Navy AP1 Robert Bruce Miles was born in Deer Lodge, MT on August 20, 1912, to the union of John Frederick Miles and Flossie Mabel Watson. As a young boy, Robert was considered to be mechanically inclined to the point of genius. He was enamored with aviation and even built and flew his own plane powered by a four-cylinder engine from an old Model-T Ford automobile. He flew his home-built plane all over the countryside. One day, he amazed a crowd with his flying prowess at the Deer Lodge rodeo. Above and beyond mechanics, Robert was also academically inclined. He completed his college preparatory curricula at the Powell County high school where he played on the football team.
He then enlisted in the US Navy on April 14, 1936 in Salt Lake City, Utah and after boot camp he was sent to aviation machinist mate school in San Diego. He progressed quickly through the ranks before being selected for aviation pilot school. On May 30, 1938, Third Class Miles reported to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola to begin flight training. Here he met and married Miss Doris Pauline Eubanks from the Pensacola High Class of 1939 on December 24, 1938. She was the daughter of Collin Andrew Eubanks and Nellie J. Wilkinson who supported his family as a L&N Railroad conductor. In 1942, Doris gave birth to their son, Robert Jr. in Pensacola.
Robert would received his wings as an enlisted Naval Aviation Pilot (NAP) "Silver Eagles" on April 21, 1939. He was assigned to Torpedo Squadron VT-2 on June 9, 1939 aboard the USS Lexington. On May 7, 1942, he and his ship entered the Battle of the Coral Sea where the Lexington was sunk by the Japanese. Without a carrier, his squadron was transferred to the USS Hornet and joined the Yorktown and Enterprise for the attack on the Japanese Fleet at the great battle of Midway. There on June 4, 1942, Robert's squadron joined Torpedo Squadron #8 in attacking against hopeless odds, flying low without fighter support. They were first to sight the enemy but realized to a man that they had insufficient fuel to return to their carrier. Regardless, the pilots bravely held to their targets, dropping their torpedoes at point-blank range in the face of devastating antiaircraft fire that sent each of their planes hurtling ablaze into the sea. Twenty-nine young lives paid the ultimate sacrifice that resulted in one of the greatest military victories in American history. For his bravery, Robert was awarded Navy Cross and Purple Heart plus a commemoration from President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
After Robert's death at Midway, Doris would marry William Thomas McBride and again to John H. Gholson before passing away in Pensacola in 2010 at the age of 88.
Click here to view a film taken just before he and his comrades took off to attack the Japanese: https://dissolve.com/video/1942-memory-George-Marvin-Campbell-Ronald-Joseph-Fisher-royalty-free-stock-video-footage/001-D378-93-380
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