Charlie Milhans was named the 2023 Veteran of the Year back in November but he is still basking in the glow.
The longtime city resident was given the title at the annual Veterans Day observation programs held on Nov. 11, 2023 in Monument Square and at City Hall. Milhans said it “meant a lot” to him to be named Veteran of the Year and was especially glad to be able to honor his wife of 47 years, Eunju Milhans, “for the sacrifice she did to make our family a success, for the times I was deployed away from her and our kids.”
Milhans was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, where he entered the Army in June 1974. He graduated from Wilson High School in Tacoma, earned a BS from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1989, and an MBA from Western New England University in 1994.
He and his wife have three adult children, one who was born while he was stationed in Korea and two born in Leominster, where they have called home since 1992. Milhans served in the intelligence branch of the U.S. Army from June 1974 to February 1995 and was stationed in a myriad of locations including Fort Ord in California, Fort Sill in Oklahoma, and Fort Carson in Colorado as well as Korea, Japan, England, and Germany.
When asked what he learned during his time in the military and what he took away from it, the 73-year-old recounted his Army experience.
“I learned a lot about leadership, how to manage projects, and how wonderful our country is,” Milhans said. “I was glad my kids could experience seeing North Korea and a former concentration camp in Germany. They got to see the difference between totalitarianism and democracy in our country.”
He found out from Director of Veterans Services Richard Voutour that he had been selected as Veteran of the Year about a month before the ceremony.
“Our city chooses the honor for what they not only did in the military but what they have done for the community,” Milhans said.
Voutour said it made sense to name Milhans the Veteran of the Year as he is a longtime active member, contributor, and past commander of the Leominster American Legion Post 151 and heavily involved with the Rotary Club of Leominster “helping to change lives every day.”
Milhans said he will continue to serve in those capacities, roles he is happy to fulfill.
“There is nothing more pleasurable for me than giving back to my fellow veterans and the community.”
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