Doris “Dorie” Miller, born in Waco, Texas, in 1919, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1939 as a mess attendant—then one of the few jobs open to Black sailors. By 1941, he was serving aboard the battleship USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor.
On the morning of December 7, Japanese aircraft struck the harbor with devastating force. Amid the chaos, Miller rushed to assist the wounded. He carried his mortally injured captain, Mervyn Bennion, to a safer location, then helped other sailors to shelter. Despite having no formal training with weapons, Miller manned a .50-caliber anti-aircraft gun and fired at attacking planes until the ammunition was exhausted.
For his extraordinary courage, Miller became the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross, presented personally by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz in May 1942. His actions challenged racial barriers and highlighted the vital contributions of Black service members during World War II.
Tragically, Miller was killed in 1943 when the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay was sunk near the Gilbert Islands. His legacy endures: in 2020, the Navy announced a future aircraft carrier would bear his name—the first ever named for an African American sailor.
