CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A Charlottetown veteran’s tribute to those who are in the military is turning heads in front of his home on Upton Road.
Dan Miller, 61, who served 30 years in the army, navy and air force, and his wife, Phyllis, 63, who served 27 years with the navy, have constructed a display for Remembrance Day that measures more than seven feet in height, eight feet in width and two feet in depth.
Inside the display are three mannequins, wearing the uniforms of the branches the couple served in.
“We’ve had it at the (Atlantic) Superstore in years gone by, but COVID has prevented all that," Dan Miller said in an interview on his front lawn Nov. 4. “Last year it wasn’t up anywhere, so this year we said it’s going up somewhere, and I decided it was going up right here in front of my house."
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The display features more than three mannequins. There is also a doll and two very real-looking dogs which, to the Millers, represent family.
Resting inside the display is a rock with an image the Millers found on Facebook. Their daughter-in-law, Jessie Miller, who lives in Edmonton, Alta., with their son, Stephen, who also serves in the military, etched the image of her in-laws found onto a stone. That image shows three veterans, from the navy, army and air force inside three poppies.
“We tried to incorporate the remembrance of it all and also look at the modern-day side of it with a family theme,’’ Dan Miller said. “Family belongs with this story. Phyllis and I raised three sons, of which the youngest is currently serving, so we decided to have a true military family in our display.’’
Phyllis Miller said their goal was to show the public that anyone who has worn or will wear the uniform is considered, by them, to be a veteran.
“It doesn’t matter where you served or what you served in in the past,’’ she said. “And, it’s important to remember because of the people who put their lives on the line for us to be here today."
Military bio
- Dan Miller retired in 2007 as a chief warrant officer with the logistics branch of the army. He also served three years at sea with the navy and seven years with the air force.
- Phyllis Miller was a cook in the navy, retiring in 2003 as a sergeant.
- The display is located in front of their home at 249 Upton Rd. in Charlottetown.
Dan Miller originally wanted the display to be more action-oriented. He thought about creating a combat setting that would show soldiers in an operations or map room, but he didn’t have the space on the deck in front of his house.
So, he decided to go with a more relaxed approach with dark curtains on both sides and mountains in the background.
Next year he intends on adding to it and painting it.
Dan Miller said the display is also a matter of pride that he and his wife have from their years in the military.
“It’s not a job; it’s a way of life," he said. “You become part of the military and so does your family. You adopt that kind of attitude."
Ultimately, he said it’s about remembering those who sacrificed their lives.
“It can never, ever be measured, and it should never, ever be forgotten."
Dave Stewart is a reporter with the SaltWire Network in Prince Edward Island.
