IOWA SOLDIER DIES
TO SAVE HIS COMRADES
ASHINGTON (UP) - Counting its war heroes, Iowa will find none braver than Pfc. Albert R. Mills of Farmington, who died that his wounded comrades might be evacuated in the face of an overpowering assault by Japanese on Leyte.
Farmington and the family of Gus Mills, his father, know that Pfc. Mills died a hero last December. But not until Friday did the war department obtain the complete account of his heroism from Pacific headquarters of the 32nd infantry, (Red Arrow) division.
At least 10 Japs were killed by the Iowa doughboy, and all his outfit's wounded were evacuated before he fell, still gripping his M1 rifle.
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This is the story received from his outfit in the Pacific:
On Dec. 10, Pfc. Mills' company had taken an important position near Limon, on Leyte, but darkness prevented thorough organization of defenses. A fierce Jap attack at dawn forced the American unit to withdraw under heavy machine gun, artillery and mortar fire. The company sufered many casualties, many of whom had to be carried out as the company withdrew.
Pfc. Mills, whose usual weapon was an M1 rifle, voluntarily armed himselp with a Browning automatic rifle procured from a dead comrade, gather a supply of ammunition and placed himself in a position from which he could hold off the attackers while the wounded were being evaculated.
He remained at his post while his company took up a new position from which it could repel the enemy and reorganize.
Pfc. Mills was found dead later by another company of the Red Arrow division, which had retaken the hill.
His Browning automatic was burned out and all the ammunition expended. The Iowa hero clutched his M1 rifle, which he had been using in his last desperate attempt to hold off the enemy.
Source: The Gazette (Cedar Rapids), July 13, 1945
Albert Ross Mills was born Feb. 17, 1919 to Gus Zenious and Edna May West Mills. He died Dec. 11, 1944 and is buried in Hillsboro Cemetery, Hillsboro, IA.
Pvt. Mills served in World War II with the U.S. Army 126th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Division and was KIA on Leyte.
Source: ancestry.com
