Columbine was 'defining moment' for Navy medic who died a hero; School massacre 'defining moment' for 1999 graduate
Charles Luke Milam may have been inspired to follow a hero's path because of a day he never talked about, a terrible April day in 1999 when he was a student at Columbine High School.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5709318,00.html
By Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News
September 28, 2007
"He wasn't shot or wounded or shot at," his brother, Keith, said Thursday, "but absolutely, it was the defining moment of his life."
Two months after the Columbine killings, Milam, 26, enlisted in the Navy, following in the footsteps of his brother and two grandfathers.
This week, the decorated hospital corpsman - known to everybody as Luke - died in combat in Afghanistan. It was his fourth tour of duty. He had served three tours in Iraq, and would have gone back however many times it took to get the job done, his brother said.
"He felt it was his duty to do whatever he could to help people in the military," Milam said. "He was a hero in every sense of the term."
His brother surmises that living through the Columbine horror helped shape his brother's future. "It wasn't something Luke ever talked about, but the fact he chose to become a hospital corpsman may have had something to do with (Columbine)."
What was clear - something transformed Luke after he graduated.
"He did OK in high school, but after he joined the military he was a star," his brother said.
Milam was the first in his family to enter a medical field, dedicating himself to helping people deal with injuries and death in combat situations.
"Luke was responsible for the health and well-being of the men in his platoon," Keith Milam said. "He basically served as their doc - from everyday aches and pains to severe combat trauma."
Recognition followed. The Purple Heart was just one of many awards. Another - one the family is especially proud of - was being named Special Operations Command Operator of the Year.
Milam chose the military as his career. But he never lost a chance to return to Colorado for his favorite sports, from mountain biking and hiking, to scuba diving and sky diving.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Drinkwine Mortuary in Littleton, followed by a 1 p.m. graveside service at Fort Logan National Cemetery.
Milam's commanding officer is escorting his body back to Colorado from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
As word of Milam's death spreads to childhood friends, his old Scout troop and to military buddies, the anticipated crowd continues to grow larger and larger, his brother said.
"I think that speaks to how valuable Luke was to his organization," his older brother said. "He was the best of the best."