Doris Miller just
after being presented with the Navy Cross by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, on
board USS Enterprise at Pearl Harbor, May 27, 1942.
Doris “Dorie” Miller, a Black sailor serving as a cook aboard the USS West Virginia, demonstrated extraordinary courage during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Despite his lack of formal training on weaponry—Black sailors at the time were largely confined to roles in the Stewards Branch, handling tasks like cooking and serving—Miller manned an anti-aircraft gun and is officially credited with shooting down two Japanese planes. Beyond this act of bravery, he also risked his life to assist wounded sailors after running out of ammunition. Miller’s heroism earned him the Navy Cross, making him the first Black sailor to receive this prestigious award. However, the recognition came only after significant political pressure from the NAACP, African American media outlets, and leftist groups. This delay underscored the racial inequities of the era.
Initially, Miller’s identity was not publicly acknowledged.
Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, who opposed Black men in combat roles,
resisted recognizing Miller as one of the war’s first heroes. It wasn’t until
March 1942 that the Pittsburgh Courier, a leading Black newspaper, revealed his
identity. This revelation propelled Miller into the spotlight as a symbol of
the Double V campaign, which sought victory against fascism abroad and racism
at home. Demands for further recognition followed. While some lawmakers
advocated for Miller to receive the Medal of Honor, the Navy ultimately awarded
him the Navy Cross in May 1942. Unlike white sailors who received similar
honors, Miller was neither promoted nor given the opportunity to return to the
U.S. for morale-boosting tours. Only after additional advocacy was he sent on a
speaking tour in late 1942. By mid-1943, he was promoted to cook third class.
Tragically, Miller’s life was cut short in November 1943 when the escort
carrier Liscome Bay was torpedoed, killing him and 643 other crew members.
For years after World War II, Miller’s story was largely
forgotten. When he was remembered, it was often to illustrate the progress made
in military integration, which, in theory, was achieved by the mid-1950s. A
segregated elementary school in San Antonio was named in his honor in 1952, a
bittersweet recognition given Texas’s ongoing resistance to desegregation. By
the 1970s, social changes began to revive Miller’s legacy. In 1973, amidst
efforts to reform the Navy’s discriminatory practices, a frigate was
commissioned as the USS Doris Miller. The move symbolized a shift towards
acknowledging the contributions of Black service members. In 2001, Miller’s
story reached a broader audience through the movie Pearl Harbor, though some
critics noted the film’s oversimplified portrayal of race relations.
In the decades following his death, Miller received
additional honors. In 2010, he was featured on a U.S. postage stamp as one of
four Distinguished Sailors. More recently, in 2020, the Navy announced that a
future nuclear-powered aircraft carrier would bear his name, marking the first
time an enlisted sailor received such an honor. Miller’s story remains a
powerful reminder of the courage and resilience of Black Americans who served
their country despite systemic discrimination. His legacy continues to inspire
efforts toward equality and recognition for all who serve.
