Lee Mifflin

Lee "Miff" Mifflin 1921 - 2011 Lee "Miff" Mifflin, husband, father, grandfather, brother, golfing buddy passed away May 15, 2011. Services will be held at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery at 10100 Horseshoe Bend Rd in Boise on Friday, May 20 at 1pm. Lee was born on September 25, 1921 in a dirt floor log cabin outside of Malad, Idaho and raised in Ruth, Nevada. He had three brothers: Leo, Jack, Keith; and, a sister: Rachel Transtrom. Lee went to work as a bell hop at The Nevada Hotel in Ely when he was 14 years old so he could take flying lessons. He saw flying airplanes as his ticket to bigger things. At the age of 17 Lee left Ely for San Diego to work in the Consolidated Aircraft Company to help make airplanes for the war. At 18 years old, Lee joined the Royal Canadian Air Force so he could get started with fighter pilot training. When America joined the war Lee came back to the United States and joined the U.S. Navy. One of Miff's famous quotes was "there are two kinds of Navy fighter pilots, ones that have been in the drink or ones that are going in the drink." Lee had 73 successful take-offs and 72 successful landings from the USS Shangri La. He had to ditch a Corsair in the Sea of Japan after engine trouble where he was picked up by a "tin can" later the same day. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Gold Stars for his service in WWII. Quotes from his Navy Citations include: "Lieutenant Mifflin succeeded in destroying one enemy plane in the air and damaging three on the ground ... he strafed and destroyed a locomotive." "As a pilot of a carrier based fighter plane in the face of enemy antiaircraft fire he destroyed a submarine with two direct rocket hits. He assisted in silencing an antiaircraft battery with a fragmentation bomb. In addition he made a rocket attack scoring direct hits on a merchant vessel leaving it burning and several strafing attacks on three large submarines. He participated in the destruction of a locomotive train." "He participated in five air strikes against enemy airfields inflicting extensive damage. His skill and courage were at all times inspiring and in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." In his typical low key approach, all Miff would say when his wide-eyed grandchildren would ask about his service is "two in the air, three on the ground, two in the water and one train". On August 9th 1945, Lee flew in the formation providing fighter support for Bock's Car, the B-29 Super Fortress that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki leading to Japan's surrender less than a week later. From November 15, 1948 to April 10, 1949 Lee flew C47's for the US Air Force and won an Air Medal for "successfully completing one hundred missions from Western Germany to Berlin in connection with the Berlin Airlift. Confronted with a difficult schedule, flying a narrow corridor, maintaining precise timing, often under adverse weather conditions, this officer's efforts resulted in the delivery of many hundreds of tons of food and supplies to the people of Berlin. His determination and skill in the performance of duty reflect the highest credit upon him and the United States Air Force." He flew for the Navy in the Korean War. Lee loved to tell the story about a reconnaissance mission he was flying over Greenland. Miff saw an object come at his airplane at the speed of light, stop, hover then fly away. He was flown to Washington DC to be debriefed. The officials told Lieutenant Mifflin to repeat for the record about the UFO that "he never saw anything". In 1953 Lee became a Captain for Allegheny Air Lines which later became US Air. After 30 years with the airline, he retired as a Boeing 727 Captain. During his career, he met the love of his life, Doris Duelle, a 19 year old stewardess who was a refugee from WWII in Germany. This was the beginning of a love affair that lasted over 50 years. Lee (Miff) and Doris (Oma) have two beautiful girls: Michelle (Brad) Surkamer and Rene' (Bob) Miller; and four grandchildren: Bradley, Greta and W. Henry Surkamer; Travis Miller. Miff and Oma retired to Boise in 1983 where they spent their time with family and friends. Miff loved golfing at the Plantation Country Club with buddies, Wheeler, Father Don Riffle, the Colonel, Boom Boom Bilideau and Beez. He had a hole in one on the 16th, the hole next to his home at the Plantation. Miff and Oma loved to entertain their friends and family in their home on the course. When an airline crash made the news Miff would say, "He didn't fly the airplane". When confronted with the fact that the airplane had major mechanical issues or the tail had fallen off the airplane, he would say, "it doesn't matter, you need to keep flying the airplane, no matter what". We all salute you Captain Mifflin, and we're proud that you are continuing to fly the airplane. The family would like to extend a special thank you to St. Luke's Home Health Team for all of the assistance and friendship you have provided over the past four years. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the GIST Cancer Research Fund.