A local hero will receive a long-overdue honor at a special ceremony hosted by the Aquashicola Fire Company and the Palmerton Heritage Society on Saturday.

John “Buddy” Miller sacrificed his life attempting the save the children of his neighbors, the Arners, on Thanksgiving day in 1949. For his valiant efforts, he was awarded a posthumous Carnegie Hero award in 1950. While many may have forgotten the story of Miller, the fire company and the Heritage Society have made it their mission to recognize the man for his heroic act.The tragic loss of Miller and Alfred and Shirley Arner, ages 4 and 2, marked a major turning point in the history of the fire company, driving them to upgrade their facility and equipment to a modern standard.The ceremony will begin with at 1 p.m. at the fire company with the introduction of the Arner, Miller, and Butler (Miller’s widow’s surname after remarrying) families, along with a short video presentation provided by the Carnegie Foundation. The families will then be escorted by fire truck to Miller’s tombstone at the cemetery, with the procession passing by the site of the house fire on Forest Inn Road.“We’re going to have the Veterans Honor Guard present colors, have an invocation, and then have a keynote speaker, Mike Snyder. He will then ask the Butler/Miller family to unveil the tombstone to reveal the medal we’re going to affix to it,” fire company president Rory Koons said.The marker is in the image of the Carnegie Medal that was given to Miller’s widow and family nearly seven decades ago.“I’m glad they’re honoring Buddy,” Charles Arner, brother to Alfred and Shirley, said. “This all happened a long time ago, and I’m glad he’s getting his due.”