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Milton Holmes Hamilton, 98, died peacefully on Feb. 9, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
A devoted father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend, he led a life that embodied the West Point motto of Duty, Honor, Country.
Milton was born in Elkins, West Virginia, in 1925.
As a boy he loved studying history and playing basketball. He was a proud winner of a Golden Horseshoe Award in 1939. As a member of the Elkins High School basketball team, he was on the state All-Tournament Team in 1943. That year, Rep. Jennings Randolph nominated him to attend the United States Military Academy.
In 1946, he graduated from West Point, where he played shooting guard on the varsity basketball team. In 1948, he married Martha Towler, who joined him at his posting in Salzburg, Austria. This was the first of more than 25 moves they made during his long career in and around the Army.
Milton and Martha often returned to visit their parents in Elkins. Henry Hamilton (husband of Bess) was the long-time principal of Elkins High School. James and Elizabeth Towler were the long-time owners of the Hotel Tygart. Visits during the Mountain State Forest Festival were a highlight.
Milton retired as a Colonel in 1972. The Congressional Record noted that in the Army he "served in a wide variety of command and general staff positions, to include brigade commander, comptroller, program/budget manager, researcher in personnel management, service school instructor, and politico-military policy formulator at the national level. He served in combat with the 3d Infantry Division in Korea, and the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam."
In 1980, he became the Administrative Assistant for the Secretary of the Army, a post he held for 15 years. This was his favorite job. As the senior, non-political civilian in the Army, he played many roles. The Army has responsibility for running the physical plant of the Pentagon, so Milton was in effect the manager of a 20,000-person city. In this position he supported the Army's work through the end of the Cold War and the first Gulf War.
He served under Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, and retired in 1995.
Into his 90s, Milton would sing along anytime "Take Me Home, Country Roads" came on the radio. He also sang "Oh the West Virgina Hills! How majestic and how grand" whenever he drove across the state line when driving to Elkins. He missed West Virginia, and he too is missed by family and friends.