When the USS Constellation pulled into the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam in the early morning hours of Aug. 5, 1964, it was a day like almost every other.

The weather was hot and sticky from the humid summer season, and as the sun rose that morning, the Naval pilots began operations, taking to the air in planes and fighter jets as others worked to maintain the 1,062-foot Naval aircraft carrier.Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert J. Miller of Tamaqua, who was 20 at the time, remembered that the only difference of that day or so he and the other 5,500 crew members thought was the assignment announcements.Battle stations"On Aug. 3, while on 'R&R' in the port of Hong Kong, all personnel were immediately recalled back to ship," the now 70-year-old Miller said. "No destination or reason was given. At 3 a.m. on Aug. 5, we were called to General Quarters."They always would say 'This is a drill. This is a drill (during announcements)," he added. "That day they said 'This is not a drill ... General Quarters, General Quarters.' Everybody was really in awe, but we went to our battle stations."Crews did not know the reason for the change in announcement that three days earlier, the USS Maddox had been fired upon by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats and a second attack reported the following day."I worked in the office and I was in there when they started launching aircraft," he said. "They didn't tell us anything about torpedo boats coming out after our destroyers."Over the next four hours, the Constellation and USS Ticonderoga launched 60 airstrikes against four North Vietnamese bases, destroying an oil storage facility in Vinh and damaging or sinking approximately 30 vessels in port or along the coast."When that ended we went back to our daily routine," he said.Miller added that no explanation as to what went on that day was given until two days later.During that mission, the USS Constellation lost two pilots Lt. j.g. Richard A. Sather, who was the first Navy pilot to be killed in North Vietnam; and Lt. j.g. Everett Alvarez, who was taken prisoner after his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down.Preparing for warAccording to the Department of the Navy: Naval History and Heritage Command website, two days after the airstrike, thousands of miles away in Washington, D.C., the United States Congress passed the "Tonkin Gulf Resolution," which enabled President Lyndon B. Johnson, who ordered the airstrike, to "employ military force as he saw fit against the Vietnamese Communists."Seven months later, the first major deployment of U.S. troops was ordered and the country's involvement in the Vietnam War began.Following that fateful day in August 1964, Miller continued his daily routines on the USS Constellation while the ship was stationed at Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin."We stayed at Yankee Station for 45 days, running airstrikes against North Vietnam," Miller said, adding that the crew worked 12-hour shifts around the clock every day until pulling out of the station on Sept. 17 to head to Subic Bay, Philippines.Light times indark momentsThe highlight of Miller's time during this period was "getting launched off the Constellation.""We were off Vietnam for so many days, and every time we had air ops, the ship would put up a radar plane," Miller said as he paged through the USS Constellation cruise book and pointed out various pictures.The plane, which held five people, had a four-man crew.To provide the men with a little fun, a lottery was created to fill the last seat on each flight."One day my name was picked," he said.Miller was dressed in a flight suit and helmet and strapped into the plane.Three seconds after getting the OK to launch, at a speed of 168 mph, Miller was airborne.The flight lasted nearly four hours."That was the high point of my whole cruise," he said.Life after the NavyIn the years following Miller's naval service, which ended in 1966, the fresh-out-of-high-school boy, now a seasoned military man, resumed life in his hometown of Tamaqua.He married Bernita "Bonnie" Boran, had a son, Robert Jr., and in 1979 took over the family business, Miller's News Agency, a two-generation store which he ran until his retirement in 2008.Today, Miller can be found learning about the history of this country through books, fishing or playing with his 1-year-old grandson, Logan.Name: Robert J. MillerAge: 70Hometown: TamaquaMilitary branch: United States NavyRank: Petty Officer 3rd ClassYears of service: 1962-1966Medals: Navy Unit Commendation Medal