Born on October 12, 1919, in Waco, Texas, Doris “Dorie” Miller became one of the most celebrated heroes of the United States Navy during World War II. Enlisting in 1939 as a Mess Attendant—one of the few ratings widely open to Black Americans under the Navy’s strict segregation policies—Miller was stationed aboard the battleship USS West Virginia. His life changed forever on the morning of December 7, 1941, when Japan launched its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
As the West Virginia suffered heavy damage and began to list, Miller helped move wounded sailors to safety. He also assisted in moving the mortally wounded commanding officer, Captain Mervyn S. Bennion, to a place of greater shelter. Despite having no formal training on heavy weaponry, Miller then manned an unmanned .50-caliber anti-aircraft machine gun, firing at Japanese aircraft until ordered to abandon ship.
On May 27, 1942, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz presented Miller with the Navy Cross aboard the USS Enterprise, making him the first Black American to receive the award. Miller continued serving until November 1943, when he was killed after the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese submarine near the Gilbert Islands.
Image: Doris Miller, Mess Attendant First Class, USN, speaking during a visit to the Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Illinois, 7 January 1943. Miller is wearing the Navy Cross, awarded to him for heroism during the Pearl Harbor attack, 7 December 1941.
