Son of Mrs Rachel Miller McKinzie, who gave his life in service of his country somewhere in the Pacific on the USS Scorpion, US Navy Submarine in Combat Service.

This marker is no longer in this cemetery. This information was gathered from "Cemetery Records of Oktibbeha County, MS Compiled by the Oktibbeha County Genealogical Society and Interested Citizens of the County" dated April 1969

I just located this marker. It is now in
Riverside Cemetery
Payette
Payette County
Idaho, USA
His Mother was buried in this cemetery in 1985.

Electrician's Mate 2c Paul Judson Miller, Jr.
Branch of Service: U.S. Navy
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Status: KIA

USS SCORPION I (SS-278) Lost 1 February 1944

dp. 1870 tons (surf.), 2410 tons (subm.); l. 312'; b. 27';
s. 20.25 k. (surf.), 8.75 k. (subm.); td. 300 ft.; a. 6-21" tt. fwd, 4-21" tt. aft.;
cpl. 6 officers - 54 enlisted men; cl. GATO

Keel laid down by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH 29 March 1942; Launched 20 July 1942; Sponsored by Miss Elizabeth T. Monagle; Commissioned 1 October 1942; Lcdr. William N. Wylie in command.
Departing Pearl Harbor on 29 December 1943, USS SCORPION I (SS-278) under the command of Cdr. M.G. Schmidt, stopped at Midway to top off with fuel, and left that place on 3 January 1944 to conduct her fourth war patrol during WWII. Her assigned area was in the northern East China and Yellow Seas.

On the morning of 5 January, SCORPION reported that one of her crew had sustained a fracture of the upper arm and requested a rendezvous with USS HERRING (SS-233) which was returning from patrol and was near her. The rendezvous was accomplished on the afternoon of 5 January but heavy seas prevented the transfer. HERRING reported this fact on 6 January, and stated "SCORPION reports case under control." SCORPION was never seen or heard from again after her departure from that rendezvous. On 16 February 1944, USS STEELHEAD (SS-280) and SCORPION were warned that they were close together, and that an enemy submarine was in the vicinity.

No information has been received from the Japanese which would indicate SCORPION's fate. SCORPION was lost soon after these mines were laid, or at a time when they presumably offered the greatest threat. She could have been an operational casualty, but her area consists of water shallow enough so that it might be expected that some men would have survived. Since we know of no survivors, the most reasonable assumption is that she hit a mine.

In her first three patrols, SCORPION sank ten ships, for a total of 24,100 tons, and damaged two more, for 16,000. Her first war patrol was in the approaches to Tokyo in April 1943. Here she sank two freighters, four sampans and two patrol craft. In addition, she damaged a freighter. On her second patrol, conducted in the Yellow Sea, she sank two freighters. Her third patrol was made in the Mariana Islands, and resulted in damage to a tanker.

Shipmates on Eternal Patrol in USS SCORPION (SS-278):

James S. Alexander, EM2 / Charles W. Appleton, SC3 / Lorren L. Bausman, SC1 / Hollis F. Bell, S1 / Robert T. Brown, LTjg / Rufus H. Bynum, QM1 / Robert J. Chamberlain, EM2 / Harold F. Christman, S1 / Jack E. Clough, TM2 / Theodore T. Cornelius, MoMMC / Joseph W. Cunningham, RMC / Lawrence W. Deane, TM3 / Raymond P. Dews, SM1 / Vincent R. Drake, ENS / Robert B. Drane, LTjg / Ernest L. Echorst, TM2 / Richmond H. Ellis, LTjg / Edward J. English, MoMM1 / Lee M. Faber, S1 / James A. Fasnacht, QM2 / Lyle D. Faustman, MoMM1 / Nearest Fergerson, SM3 / William A. Flaherty, Jr., QMC / John F. Glazier, GM2 / Paul L. Harvey, EM2 / Robert D. Harvey, Jr., F3 / Jean T. Heidenrich, TM1 / Carl P. Heinz, MoMM1 / Frank E. Hood, S2 / Carl M. Hund, GMC / Robert E. Hutchinson, TM3 / George E. Ingram, MoMM2 / Robert L. Jacobs, S2 / Nicholas L. Koster, MoMMC / E. Krawczykowicz, MomM3 / Walter C. Labarthe, MoMM2 / Robert W. Lloyd, MoMM2 / Lawrence A. Manganello, CCS / Stanley E. Matthews, RM1 / Russell K. McMillan, MoMM1 / Frank A. McNally, Jr., RT2 / PAUL JUDSON MILLER, JR., EM2 / Howard W. Morgan, QM2 / Lyle E. Mosbey, EM2 / Canterbury B. Pierce, LT (XO) / Robert M. Rairden, YN3 / Wilbert L. Randolph, EM1 / Jack P. Rawlings, EMC / Frederic J. Robillard, S1 / Thomas E. Roche, TM2 / Albert V. Rowe, S2 / Bill Saunders, S1 / Maximilian G. Schmidt, CDR (CO) / Daniel A. Seaman, MoMM1 / William I. Sears, EM1 / Mark W. Setvate, TM3 / James Shake, F1 / Irvin S. Shapiro, PhM1 / Paul D. Shea, MoMM3 / Russell O. Sink, MoMM3 / Samuel R. Skelton, TM3 / Donald E. Smith, RM3 / Joseph F. Smith, TM3 / Charles R. Spears, MoMMC / Edgar A. Sturges, MoMM1 / Wilbur E. Tarbell, EM1 / Jack Townsend, RM3 / Raymond V. Udick, TM1 / Jack L. Voorhees, TM2 / Rudolph F. Weidenbach, FC3 / Robert R. Williford, MoMM3 / Raymond J. Wise, Jr., LT / Robert L. Womack, MoMM2 / Karl Zimmermann, RM1 ....

"Sailors, Rest Your Oars!"

Compiled by SUBNET from "UNITES STATES SUBMARINE LOSSES - WORLD WAR II,"
U.S. Navy Department, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History Division, Washington, D.C.
and U.S. NAVAL SUBMARINE FORCE INFORMATION BOOK '95 -- J. Christley

EM2 Paul Judson Miller Jr is included at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56789886/paul-judson-miller/
Contributor: Tennessee Submarine Memorial Association (51340955) • [email protected]

Son of Mrs Rachel Miller McKinzie, who gave his life in service of his country somewhere in the Pacific on the USS Scorpion, US Navy Submarine in Combat Service.

This marker is no longer in this cemetery. This information was gathered from "Cemetery Records of Oktibbeha County, MS Compiled by the Oktibbeha County Genealogical Society and Interested Citizens of the County" dated April 1969

I just located this marker. It is now in
Riverside Cemetery
Payette
Payette County
Idaho, USA
His Mother was buried in this cemetery in 1985.

Electrician's Mate 2c Paul Judson Miller, Jr.
Branch of Service: U.S. Navy
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Status: KIA

USS SCORPION I (SS-278) Lost 1 February 1944

dp. 1870 tons (surf.), 2410 tons (subm.); l. 312'; b. 27';
s. 20.25 k. (surf.), 8.75 k. (subm.); td. 300 ft.; a. 6-21" tt. fwd, 4-21" tt. aft.;
cpl. 6 officers - 54 enlisted men; cl. GATO

Keel laid down by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH 29 March 1942; Launched 20 July 1942; Sponsored by Miss Elizabeth T. Monagle; Commissioned 1 October 1942; Lcdr. William N. Wylie in command.
Departing Pearl Harbor on 29 December 1943, USS SCORPION I (SS-278) under the command of Cdr. M.G. Schmidt, stopped at Midway to top off with fuel, and left that place on 3 January 1944 to conduct her fourth war patrol during WWII. Her assigned area was in the northern East China and Yellow Seas.

On the morning of 5 January, SCORPION reported that one of her crew had sustained a fracture of the upper arm and requested a rendezvous with USS HERRING (SS-233) which was returning from patrol and was near her. The rendezvous was accomplished on the afternoon of 5 January but heavy seas prevented the transfer. HERRING reported this fact on 6 January, and stated "SCORPION reports case under control." SCORPION was never seen or heard from again after her departure from that rendezvous. On 16 February 1944, USS STEELHEAD (SS-280) and SCORPION were warned that they were close together, and that an enemy submarine was in the vicinity.

No information has been received from the Japanese which would indicate SCORPION's fate. SCORPION was lost soon after these mines were laid, or at a time when they presumably offered the greatest threat. She could have been an operational casualty, but her area consists of water shallow enough so that it might be expected that some men would have survived. Since we know of no survivors, the most reasonable assumption is that she hit a mine.

In her first three patrols, SCORPION sank ten ships, for a total of 24,100 tons, and damaged two more, for 16,000. Her first war patrol was in the approaches to Tokyo in April 1943. Here she sank two freighters, four sampans and two patrol craft. In addition, she damaged a freighter. On her second patrol, conducted in the Yellow Sea, she sank two freighters. Her third patrol was made in the Mariana Islands, and resulted in damage to a tanker.

Shipmates on Eternal Patrol in USS SCORPION (SS-278):

James S. Alexander, EM2 / Charles W. Appleton, SC3 / Lorren L. Bausman, SC1 / Hollis F. Bell, S1 / Robert T. Brown, LTjg / Rufus H. Bynum, QM1 / Robert J. Chamberlain, EM2 / Harold F. Christman, S1 / Jack E. Clough, TM2 / Theodore T. Cornelius, MoMMC / Joseph W. Cunningham, RMC / Lawrence W. Deane, TM3 / Raymond P. Dews, SM1 / Vincent R. Drake, ENS / Robert B. Drane, LTjg / Ernest L. Echorst, TM2 / Richmond H. Ellis, LTjg / Edward J. English, MoMM1 / Lee M. Faber, S1 / James A. Fasnacht, QM2 / Lyle D. Faustman, MoMM1 / Nearest Fergerson, SM3 / William A. Flaherty, Jr., QMC / John F. Glazier, GM2 / Paul L. Harvey, EM2 / Robert D. Harvey, Jr., F3 / Jean T. Heidenrich, TM1 / Carl P. Heinz, MoMM1 / Frank E. Hood, S2 / Carl M. Hund, GMC / Robert E. Hutchinson, TM3 / George E. Ingram, MoMM2 / Robert L. Jacobs, S2 / Nicholas L. Koster, MoMMC / E. Krawczykowicz, MomM3 / Walter C. Labarthe, MoMM2 / Robert W. Lloyd, MoMM2 / Lawrence A. Manganello, CCS / Stanley E. Matthews, RM1 / Russell K. McMillan, MoMM1 / Frank A. McNally, Jr., RT2 / PAUL JUDSON MILLER, JR., EM2 / Howard W. Morgan, QM2 / Lyle E. Mosbey, EM2 / Canterbury B. Pierce, LT (XO) / Robert M. Rairden, YN3 / Wilbert L. Randolph, EM1 / Jack P. Rawlings, EMC / Frederic J. Robillard, S1 / Thomas E. Roche, TM2 / Albert V. Rowe, S2 / Bill Saunders, S1 / Maximilian G. Schmidt, CDR (CO) / Daniel A. Seaman, MoMM1 / William I. Sears, EM1 / Mark W. Setvate, TM3 / James Shake, F1 / Irvin S. Shapiro, PhM1 / Paul D. Shea, MoMM3 / Russell O. Sink, MoMM3 / Samuel R. Skelton, TM3 / Donald E. Smith, RM3 / Joseph F. Smith, TM3 / Charles R. Spears, MoMMC / Edgar A. Sturges, MoMM1 / Wilbur E. Tarbell, EM1 / Jack Townsend, RM3 / Raymond V. Udick, TM1 / Jack L. Voorhees, TM2 / Rudolph F. Weidenbach, FC3 / Robert R. Williford, MoMM3 / Raymond J. Wise, Jr., LT / Robert L. Womack, MoMM2 / Karl Zimmermann, RM1 ....

"Sailors, Rest Your Oars!"

Compiled by SUBNET from "UNITES STATES SUBMARINE LOSSES - WORLD WAR II,"
U.S. Navy Department, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History Division, Washington, D.C.
and U.S. NAVAL SUBMARINE FORCE INFORMATION BOOK '95 -- J. Christley

EM2 Paul Judson Miller Jr is included at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56789886/paul-judson-miller/
Contributor: Tennessee Submarine Memorial Association (51340955) • [email protected]