S1c Oscar Wright Miles

Oscar Wright Miles was born May 15, 1919 in Saline, a town in southeast Arkansas. His mother, Mabel McKinstry Miles, was a homemaker and his father, David E. Miles, a farmer. The family included two older daughters.

Oscar had just turned two when his father died of neck cancer. 

His mother remarried by 1923 and Oscar remained with her and his step-father, George Haney, also a farmer in Saline.

By the time of the spring 1940 Census Oscar was still enrolled in school at Saline and had completed 10th grade. He was also working for the Civilian Conservation Corps, which must have been a recent enlistment because he reported no work or income for 1939.

Young Mr. Miles enlisted in the Navy on Aug. 2, 1940. He was a seaman first class on the U.S.S. Arizona when he was killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.

Sources: U.S. Veterans Administration; Arkansas death certificate; Census; Navy muster roll.

This profile was researched and written on behalf of the U.S.S. Arizona Mall Memorial at the University of Arizona.