Ellison Miles’ WWII Experience: Book Coming Soon!

We are thrilled to announce that The Miles Foundation will soon publish a collection of letters documenting Ellison Miles’ experience as a pilot in the European Theater during WWII. The Foundation inherited Ellison Miles’ WWII memorabilia and hundreds of letters that he wrote to his family between 1942 and 1945, when he served as a pilot for the Eighth Air Force stationed in Alconbury, England.  Thanks to a number of Ellison’s family members who helped keep his wartime letters and photos intact, we have spent the last two years reading through those letters and working with a writer to compose his unique story.

Growing up in the small town of Liberty, Texas with his two brothers, Ellison did not foresee himself becoming a wartime hero, praised for his leadership and courage in newspapers across the U.S.  But it was his small-town values and resilient spirit that helped him through his darkest times at war.

In weekly letters to his parents during his wartime service, Ellison juxtaposes stories of terrifying flying missions, with jovial times back at the base with his crew and comrades.  His pendulum of emotions is felt on every page, as he simultaneously embodies the role of fearless leader and homesick son.

Ellison Miles’ wartime story is his own: very personal, and both poignant and exhilarating.  His letters reflect the compassion and courage of a young man fighting for his life and his country – battling both a physical enemy abroad, and a yearning for his family 5,000 miles away.

We are honored to be able to tell a part of Ellison Miles’ larger life story.  Mr. Miles has been recognized locally as a philanthropist and Texas oil entrepreneur, and even as a war veteran.  But the intimate story of his WWII experience, vividly told through his letters, illuminates the strength and kindness that we knew and admired in him, and that we continue to honor at the Foundation today.

The book, titled, Liberty Letters: The World War II Story of Ellison Miles, is scheduled to publish later this year.  For more details, or to order an advanced copy, please contact Laura McCoy, at lmccoy@milesfdn.org.