D200 to Honor Staff Sgt. Robert Miller

The District 200 Board of Education gave staff the green light to advance its plans to commemorate Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Staff Sgt. Robert Miller with a high school commons area in his name. 

On October 6, 2010, —a 2002 graduate of Wheaton North High School—the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism in Afghanistan resulted in his death in 2005.

A committee formed after board members agreed to explore ways to commemorate Miller last spring, and presented its recommendations to the board Wednesday at Wheaton Warrenville South High School.

The recommendations include:

• A curriculum including the tenants of the six Medal of Honor pillars embedded and taught within social social studies courses at Wheaton North High School.
• Establishment of a perpetuating scholarship in Robert Miller's name for future Wheaton North graduates. Wheaton North graduate and now parent Phil Cecil, who served on the committee, said Wednesday he has committed to starting the scholarship with a $5,000 contribution.
• Robert Miller was honored by the planting of a tree and commemorative plaque in Wheaton North’s Memorial Garden, where other fallen graduates who served and died in the Armed Services are remembered.
• The Commons at Wheaton North High School be named the Robert J. Miller Commons, dedicated at the school's Veterans Day assembly in November. This would include a plaque recognizing Sgt. Miller’s award and bravery, circled by the 6 pillars that represent the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Board Vice President Barbara Intihar said Wednesday that the plans to honor Sgt. Miller go "above and beyond" her expectations. "The daily reminder that 'freedom is not free' is so impactful ... I'm delighted to see that," she said of the Robert J. Miller commons. 

Editor's note: Patch will update this story Thursday to include more specific plans and comments from committee members.