Paul Louis Milligan

Paul Louis Milligan was born at home in Philadelphia, PA to Joseph Paul Milligan and Margaret Wagner Milligan on June 17, 1938. He grew up in West Philadelphia until the family moved to Paoli, PA in 1946. here he went to Paoli Elementary School, Tredyffrin Eastown Jr. High School and T E Sr. High School until 12th grade when the county built a new high school, Conestoga Sr. High School. He rode the Paoli local commuter train to Temple University as a day student. While at Temple he was a member of Alpha Chi Rho fraternity and lived in the fraternity house for a year. After graduation, he joined the US Coast Guard but didn't hear that he was accepted into the Officer Candidate Program, so he took the draft physical and three days of tests and physical exams at Olmsted Air Force in Pennsylvania. Finally, in August 1961 he was accepted into the US Coast Guard Officer Candidate Program at Yorktown, VA. He came home to Paoli for Christmas in 1961 and married Jane Good on December 26, 1961. The happy couple drove to Williamsburg, VA in a snowstorm on New Year's Day 1962. Paul finished Officer Candidate school on January 26, 1962, and was stationed onboard the USCG Cutter Tamaroa based on Staten Island, NY. After the first cruise where the ship took a 56-degree roll he put in a request for flight training. Paul and Jane moved to Pensacola, FL for Naval Flight Training in the spring of 1963. From Pensacola they moved to Milton, FL for continued training in the T-28. Following that they moved to Corpus Christi, TX for advanced training. Paul won his wings in June 1964. After survival training, he reported to USCG Air Station Bermuda on Kindley AFB. He thought he would be there three years, but after 21 months the Air Station was closed. The American Lutheran Church started a Church in Bermuda while they were there. Paul and Jane were some of the first members. Paul and Jane welcomed their first child, Mark Stephen Milligan, via adoption in January 1966 and welcomed him home on Valentine's Day. He was baptized in a giant clam shell. The next stop was St. Petersburg, FL where Paul flew the HU-16E on search and rescue missions. They adopted their second child, Nora Susan Milligan while in St. Petersburg in February 1968. In St. Petersburg, they joined the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church where Nora was baptized. Their next move was to the naval Aviation Training Command in Corpus Christi, TX. Paul was assigned to VT-29, the squadron that trained navigators. Since he was a LT. Commander, he didn't have to stand duty, so he was home to go through Hurricane Celia with his family. They sustained little damage but were busy catching water leaks. From Corpus Christi they moved to Cape Cod, MA by way of Mexico City. While on Cape Cod they lived on Otis Air Force Base. Paul flew the HU-16E and went to helicopter training. Paul, Jane, Mark and Nora went to Germany to visit Jane's brother, Bob. The visited Gundershoffen just over the border in France. This is the city that Paul's grandparents, Johan Phillipe and Margaret Wagner emigrated from to Philadelphia in 1898. Returning to Cape Cod they welcomed Joseph Paul Milligan in July 1974. On April 19, 1975 (Patriot's Day), they were on the Village Green in Lexington, MA when the British reenactors came marching in to meet the Colonial Forces. They then went to the federal building to fill out the application to have Mark naturalized. They were active in Christ Lutheran Church where Paul served as the congregation president. The summer of 1975 the Coast Guard moved the family to Port Angeles, WA. Jane's father, Lewis Good, drove the family station wagon while towing the Volkswagen and Paul drove the Corvair. Arriving in Port Angeles, WA, Paul reported to the Coast Guard Air Station. He flew the HU-16E and the HH-52 Helicopter participating in search and rescue and medivac flights to Seattle. Paul was one of the helicopters on scene for the powerboat races. Paul Louis Milligan, Jr. was born in May 1976. In Port Angeles they were active members of Saint Mattew Lutheran Church where Paul served as the congregation president. Paul was active in the scout troop and drove on of two cars that took the troop to Philmont, NM. He returned home wearing a beard that he only shaved when he got to New Orleans. After seven years the Coast Guard promoted Paul to full Commander and moved the family (along with the 2 dogs and a cat) to New Orleans, LA. Paul drove the Corvair and Jane drove the van towing the Volkswagen. Moving to New Orleans they camped out and every three days stayed in a motel where they could shower and wash clothes. In New Orleans they lived in Little Woods, the Coast Guard housing complex in East New Orleans. Paul was in a carpool to Coast Guard Headquarters in the city. He was out of aviation and doing a desk job. They were active in Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. The Church started a school where Paul Jr. attended from grade two through grade 4. They had four Mardi Gras in New Orleans and survived them all! In 1986 Paul was sent to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. The family lived in Springfield where they found Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. The whole family was active - Paul sand in the choir until 2017. He was a Communion assistant and reader as well as the scheduler for assistants and readers for several years. Paul went with Pastor HH to Leewood Nursing Home to play the piano for services. When Pastor HH stopped going Paul met Pastor Lehrer there. Paul was active in Boy Scout troop 1145 that both Joe and Paul Jr. were members of along with his two grandsons (later on) James and Nicholas. Paul served as Institutional Representative between Prince of Peace and the Boy Scouts. After the family moved to Prince William County, Paul was Board of Elections Officer. Paul and Jane's first major trip was to Morrocco with Northern VA Community College. In subsequent years they visited England; Ireland; Scottland; took a Baltic Cruise that included Copenhagen, Estonia, St. Petersburg, Russia, Stockholm, Sweden, Warnemunde and Rostock, Germany. They also visited Egypt; Turkey; Beijing; the South Pacific from Australia to Guam and the to Osaka, Japan. In the US they visited the Nez Perce Flight from Oregon to Idaho, Yellowstone and Montana. They went on a Kit Carson tour in New Mexico, as well as a tour called Barons, Bars and Brothels in Old Denver, CO. They took a trip on the Canadian National Railroad - The Rocky Mountaineer from Bampf to Vancouver. Paul took several trips on smaller short line excursions in Colorado and New Mexico - the Royal Gorge, the Georgetown Loop, and Cumbres and Toltec. Paul was very brave Alzheimer's robbed him of his memories and he became more feeble. He was in hospice care at home since January 2023 when he had a pacemaker placed. Mark would spend time with his Dad on Sunday mornings while Jane went to Church. He went to the Adler Center on March 9, 2024, where they took very good care of him. Paul Jr. came from Indiana to be with him, and Joe visited often. Nora stayed with him at night as she had for so many hospitalizations. Jane was with him during the day. Mark, Nora, Joe, Paul and Jane all gathered to be with him to share stories on Thursday evening. Paul died at 4:45am on March 22, 2024. He will be buried at Quantico National Cemetery on April 12, 2024.

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Paul Louis Milligan

June 17, 1938 - March 22, 2024