Biography.guide
Home › People › Ira E. McMillian
Portrait of Ira E. McMillian

Ira E. McMillian

1908 – 1987

Decorated World War II commander

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Ira E. McMillian

Lived 1908 – 1987 (aged 78).

Ira Ellis McMillian (3 August 1908 – 22 April 1987), was a decorated commander during World War II who reached the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. McMillian was the Gunnery Officer on the when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Captain McMillian was the president of the court-martial of Disbursing Clerk Seaman Jimmie L. Henderson, the last sailor to be sentenced to death for murder. Seaman Henderson was sentenced for the murder of a commissioned officer aboard the . The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by President John F. Kennedy. "This is the only known death sentence to be awarded by a naval service court-martial and affirmed on appeal through the U.S. Court of Military Appeals since the enactment of the UCMJ."

Admiral McMillian had proposed to Richard Nixon in August 1970 that he could possibly bring the Vietnam War to an end though his personal contact with Lê Duẩn. McMillian then claimed that he was kidnapped and taken to Bethesda Naval Hospital and held there incommunicado for four weeks. Admiral McMillian was named the plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon, claiming "[that they] and others conspired to kidnap an admiral because he knew of a way to end the Vietnam war two years before Nixon did."

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Education
United States Naval Academy
Awards
Legion of Merit; Navy Cross (United States); Purple Heart; Silver Star Medal
Also known as
Ira Ellis McMillian

People in Ira E. McMillian's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ira E. McMillian's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ira E. McMillian?

decorated World War II commander

When was Ira E. McMillian born?

Ira E. McMillian was born on 3 August 1908 in Prescott.

When did Ira E. McMillian die?

Ira E. McMillian died on 22 April 1987 in California.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ira E. McMillian

· Wikidata: Q78130124

· DBpedia: Ira E. McMillian

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ira E. McMillian. https://biography.guide/ira-e-mcmillian/

MLA: "Ira E. McMillian." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ira-e-mcmillian/.

Chicago: "Ira E. McMillian." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ira-e-mcmillian/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:04 UTC