Rhodes scholar Army officer dies mysterious death

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Posted 8:06AM on Wednesday, July 3, 2002

FORT BENNING - Second Lt. Zachariah Miller seemed destined for greatness. A high school valedictorian in Stoneboro, Pa., he graduated 11th out of class of 957 at West Point, where he was captain of the rugby team and top in his class in math and computer science. A Rhodes scholar, Miller was just months away from going to Oxford University, where he planned to study politics, philosophy and economics. He died mysteriously one month to the day after receiving his U.S. Military Academy diploma from graduation keynote speaker President George W. Bush. The 22-year-old Army officer was found dead Monday night following a training exercise at Fort Benning. Army officials continued Tuesday to investigate how he died but said they did not suspect foul play. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday, at Fort Benning's Martin Army Community Hospital, post officials said. His death shocked and saddened those on the post, at West Point and in his hometown in Pennsylvania. ``It's very, very sad,'' Fort Benning spokeswoman Monica Manganaro said. ``A young man who's physically fit dying inexplicably it's baffling.'' Miller was one day away from completing the three-week, pre-U.S. Army Ranger training program. He began a land navigation course shortly after 9:30 a.m. Monday and was last seen alive about 1:30 p.m., Army officials said. When he failed to meet a deadline, a search crew was dispatched and found Miller's body about 8 p.m. Fort Benning commander Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton described Miller as ``a great young American'' and sent his condolences to Miller's family. ``It's an absolute tragedy'' said Eaton, whose son graduated with Miller. ``He was a classmate of my son's. We had the privilege of meeting this young man.'' Miller was a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, was named the Truman Scholar as one of the nation's top college juniors, and was winner of the Army's Distinguished Cadet Award. His parents said he aspired to be involved in national politics and described him as someone who could make a difference. ``We live in a small town, and he was a hometown hero to the old and the young,'' said his mother, Rosalyn Miller. ``He touched everyone.'' ``He was doing what he wanted to do and knew that he could make a difference doing it,'' said his father, Keith Miller. ``He could see around the corners and see what was coming and how to fix it.'' The land navigation course is a solo event Miller had successfully completed two times before. It requires the soldier to use a compass to navigate out of the woods, and compared to other aspects of the physically and mentally challenging Ranger program is not considered particularly rigorous, Manganaro said. Soldiers are required to undergo an extensive medical examination before entering Ranger training, she said. Eaton said Miller had 12 hours of rest and breakfast and showed no signs of ``distress'' or ``physical concern'' before embarking on the navigation course. His body showed no physical trauma, Eaton said. West Point spokeswoman Andrea Hamburger said everyone there was ``just shocked and devastated. It's a terrible loss for the academy, the Army and his family,'' she said. ``There was so much potential there. A general or a president is something you'd envision for his future,'' Hamburger said.