The Miranda Legacy: The Heroes of Charlie Company

The Miranda family name has graced the roster of Charlie Company 1st Battalion 153 Regiment several times. The Miranda brothers: Phillip, Leon (better known as Troy), Alfred, Richard, Christopher and Paul were all enlisted early in their lives after their mother, father and grandfather had served.

Phillip started his military journey by enlisting in the National Guard in June of 1984 at the age of 17. After attending college, he decided to further serve his country by transferring from the guard to active duty in 1987. He served two years in Germany, and another two years in Oklahoma. 

He then took a sabbatical from the Army for three years before joining Charlie Company again in 1995. In 1999, Phillip was deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Southern Watch. Operation Southern Watch began in August of 1992 with the stated purpose of ensuring Iraqi compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 688, April 5, 1991, which demanded, in part, that Iraq, “…immediately end this repression, and express the hope in the same context that an open dialogue will take place to ensure that the human and political rights of all Iraqi citizens are respected.” (UNSCR.com)

“My MOS (Military Occupation Skill) in Iraq was a mortar squad leader,” Miranda said. “Because the rules of engagement didn’t allow us to use mortars in Baghdad due to collateral damage, myself and one of my men were assigned to an Iraqi infantry platoon to train, mentor, and lead them when we went on missions.”

It was during this deployment that his brother Troy would be killed in action by an improvised explosive device (IED). The death of Troy Miranda shook the people of Charlie Company, as well as the residents of Polk County. 

“It was devastating,” former Family Readiness Group Leader Jodi Croft said. “It was the first casualty in our area and the twelfth in our state. It just sent panic all around. It was the first hit of the reality of war.” 

The death of Troy Miranda shook even those at Camp Robinson. This facility is the home of the Arkansas National Guard, joint force headquarters, 39th Infantry Combat Team, the 77th Aviation Brigade, and the 87th Troop Command. The gym at Camp Robinson was named in Troy Miranda’s honor. 

The untimely death also prompted fellow Charlie Company members Paul Heath, Casey Brewster, and Jacob Sullivan to remember their fallen brother in an unconventional way—The Beagle Run—an annual motorcycle run and memorial service held in May. 

“We wanted to honor a great man and ensure his legacy was never forgotten,” Jacob Sullivan said. “We all had bikes at the time, so it seemed a fitting tribute.”

The name of the event comes from Troy’s time working as Military Intelligence Support for the Arkansas State Police. The particular field that Miranda worked in was Marijuana Eradication. He earned himself the nickname Beagle due to his dog-like skills in seeking out marijuana. That nickname went on to be the namesake of The Beagle Run. 

“He could go right to pot just like a dog on a trail!” Phillip Miranda reminisced.

Even Arkansas Major General Kendall Penn makes the trip from Camp Robinson every year to participate in The Beagle Run and show his support for our community. 

“153rd Infantry lost one of our very best,” Penn said. “You only have to look at the boys who’ve now grown into men to know the impact the deployment made on them, and how much they love each other.” 

The Beagle Run now serves as both a memorial and a reunion for the company. 

“He really made a huge impression on a lot of us,” co-founder Casey Brewster said. “I don’t think we envisioned it being a mini-reunion for us, but I think that part of it is equally important for all of us.”

Though Phillip had lost his blood brother, in a sense, the entire company had lost a brother. 

“He was the third brother that I lost,” Phillip said. “He was the hardest one to lose. But when I came back, I felt like I had 169 brothers.”

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