USA (COL) (Ret) Chaplain Whitfield M. McMillan

He grew up in Houston, attending Trinity Lutheran Christian Day School. He then attended high school at Concordia College, Austin, Texas, graduating in 1946. He continued his studies at St. John's College, Winfield Kansas and at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, graduating in June 1953. He was ordained into the ministry of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod on June 28, 1953 at his home congregation, Trinity, in Houston. On June 6, 1953 he and Lois Jean Meyer were joined in marriage at Grace Lutheran Church in Wellston (St. Louis), Missouri. Together they served their church and their country in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army.

Whit enjoyed a variety of assignments and responsibilities as a military chaplain, beginning at Tyndall AFB, FL; then, overseas, at RAF Station Cranage, Cheshire, England and RAF Bushy Park, London, England, from July 1953 to August, 1958. From September 1958 to June, 1962 he served as the civilian pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Temple, TX, continuing his contact with the Air Force as an Active Reserve Chaplain. In June, 1962 he transferred from the Air Force to the U.S. Army and went back on active duty at Fort Chaffee, AK. Other assignments as an Army Chaplain were:" 212th Field Artillery Group, Hanau, Germany; 2d Armored Division Fort Hood, TX; 198th Light Infantry Brigade, Republic of Viet Nam; 1st Armored Division, 2d Armored Division, Ft. Hood, TX; the Army Chaplain School, Fort Hamilton, NY; 2d Infantry Division, Tongduchon, S. Korea; Academy of Health Sciences, Fort Sam Houston, TX; Staff Chaplain, 1st U.S. Army, Fort Meade, MD; Community Chaplain, Nurnberg, Germany; Deputy USAREUR Chaplain, Heidelberg, Germany; and his final assignment was Staff Chaplain, 5th U.S. Army, Fort Sam Houston, TX. He had the distinction of service three times as a Division Staff Chaplain and twice as an Army Staff Chaplain.

Following his retirement from the Army in May 1987, he served for almost six years as the associate pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, San Antonio, TX retiring fully on March 1, 1993, thus closing a formal ministry of almost forty years. On January 10, 2016, God called Whit home to be with Him.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois.

Whit is survived by daughters, Deborah L. Ledbetter and husband, Paul, Anne K. Everett and husband, James; sons, Paul R. McMillan and John W. McMillan; grandchildren, Julie and Stephen O'Leary, Jennifer Everett and Jessica and Dustin Tondre, Katherine and Chris Cho, Michael Ledbetter, Benjamin McMillan and Alexandra McMillan; great-grandchildren, James and John O'Leary, Carleigh and Parker Tondre and Dallas Everett.

Special thanks to family friend, Karen Bialick for all her regular visits.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at Porter Loring North.

SERVICE

THURSDAY

JANUARY 14, 2016

10:00 A.M.

CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH

Rev. Bill Tucker will officiate.

A private interment with full Military Honors will follow at a later date in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Concordia Lutheran Church.