During the Depression we lived on a farm.
And we had money just before the Depression hit.
So my stepfather bought a two-car home-built garage.
And we extended the front end,
and we lived in that for all my childhood.
But the reason we did it,
or he did it,
was 'cause we lived on ten acres of land and raised all our own food.
So...
people were starving during the Depression, but not us.
The first training I got was not in basic training.
They sent me to Army Air Corps
to learn .50 caliber machinegun.
We were at peace at the time and the Canadians were fighting the Nazis.
Shortly thereafter, I deserted the Army,
went to Canada,
but for a different reason.
People went to Canada during Vietnam to get out of the war.
I went to Canada to get in the war.
NARRATOR: In 1940,
America was still at peace.
Yet young Lewis Millett was outraged by German aggression in Europe
and was eager to get into combat.
He deserted to join the Canadian Army,
where he was sent to London to man an anti-aircraft gun
during the Blitz.
When America finally entered the war,
Millett jumped at the chance to transfer back.
When I transferred back to the American Army,
I immediately made the invasion in North Africa.
And in the first battle, I get a Silver Star,
and they start promoting me. By the time my records catch up
--because, see, I deserted so they didn't have any records of me.
Well, by the time they caught up I had fought six months in Africa,
six months in Italy,
had a Silver Star and a Bronze Star and was a buck sergeant.
And my records catch up and they court-martial me
for desertion...
--found me guilty,
and they fined me a $52 fine and made me a second lieutenant!
NARRATOR: At the outbreak of the Korean War,
Millett took command of an under-strength unit of 100 men.
As if subzero temperatures and an
entrenched enemy were not challenge enough,
Millett had to contend with an additional factor:
Chinese propaganda.
We got reports of captured enemy messages and stuff like that.
And in one of them, the Chinese said that Americans are afraid of bayonets.
And I said, "That's a blankety-blank lie!"
I said, "Both my great-grandfathers who fought in the Civil War
--used bayonets all the time.
And we'll teach those son-of-a-bitches a lesson!"
So I went and got bayonets
and had 'em sharpened up and trained the troops.
I said, "From now on we lead off with bayonet assaults!"
NARRATOR: In February of 1951
near the village of Soam-Ni,
Millett's company approached Hill 180,
where they were met with a shower of small arms, automatic and anti-tank fire
from a superior Communist force.
Outnumbered and pinned down,
Captain Millett placed himself at the head of the two platoons,
rallied his men and gave the order,
"Fix bayonets."
Facing brutal fire,
Captain Millett led E Company in a fierce, screaming charge up Hill 180,
clubbing and bayoneting enemy at every turn.
They stormed the enemy trenches
using their bayonets to such lethal effect
that the enemy fled in wild disorder.
Yeah, it's kinda crazy
--to go charging up with bayonets, you know.
Against people with machineguns and all that? Oh, that's great--!
Right now, in looking back, to say,
"Fix bayonets and follow me"--!? That stupid son of a bitch, you know?
NARRATOR: When the hill was finally taken,
nearly 100 Communist troops lay dead
--thirty by bayonet.
The battle for Hill 180,
which has since come to be known as Bayonet Hill,
earned Millett the Medal of Honor.
It is a great honor.
Old President Truman,
who was a soldier, who'd fought in World War I,
when he put it around me, he said,
"I'd rather have this than be President of the United States."
That's why I say this is not just mine.
It's for a hundred men that I had, too.
And if they all hadn't gone, I'd be dead.
I consider that I must have been a pretty good leader,
otherwise none of them would've gone.
But they all did.
And this is typical of an American soldier, I think.
I've never met a bad soldier in combat.
I'm alive today because I had some damn good men
I get emotional about it.
We're in a free country. And why are we?
Because of a lot of people
black, white, yellow
--went and gave their lives so that you and I could live free.
Simple as that.