THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE  Private Joseph F. McMillen Pennsylvania State Police Troop "E-1" 1930-1956

Biographical Info
Age: 26
Years of Service: 4 years

Incident Details
Cause of Death:  Vehicle Accident
Date of Incident: May 12, 1956
Date of Death: May 13, 1956

Private  Joseph F. McMillen was born January 29, 1930, at Conneautville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

He served in the United States Navy from January 29, 1947, to January 28, 1952. On May 16, 1952, Private McMillen enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police from West Springfield and was assigned to Troop E-1. He was 22 years old and 5'10" tall.

At 9:45 p.m. on May 12, 1956, Private McMillen and Private Paul F. Dell were patroling on Route 955 in Harborcreek Township, five miles east of Erie. A vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, on the wrong side of the highway, struck their vehicle. Private McMillen was taken to Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie where he died of his injuries a few hours later, at 12:47 a.m. on May 13. Private Paul F. Dell was also injured, but recovered.

Private McMillen is buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Conneaut, Ohio. He was survived by his wife, Mrs. Audrey M. McMillen, of Cheswick, Pennsylvania.

At 26, Private McMillen had completed four years of Pennsylvania State Police service.