Doris Miller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doris Miller
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Miller wearing his Navy Cross
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| Nickname(s) | "Dorie" |
| Born | October 12, 1919 Waco, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | November 24, 1943 (aged 24) USS Liscome Bay, off Makin Atoll, Gilbert and Ellice Islands |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1939–1943 |
| Rank | Cook Third Class |
| Service number | 356-12-35 |
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| Battles/wars | World War II
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Doris Miller (October 12, 1919 – November 24, 1943) was a brave United States Navy sailor during World War II. He was a cook, but he became a hero. He was the first Black American to receive the Navy Cross. This is a very high award for bravery in battle. It is second only to the Medal of Honor.
Miller served on the battleship West Virginia. This ship was attacked by Japanese planes at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. During the attack, Miller helped many wounded sailors. He also used an anti-aircraft machine gun. He had no training for this gun, but he still shot down several Japanese planes.
His heroic actions earned him the Navy Cross. News about Miller spread quickly. He became a symbol of the fight for equal rights for Black Americans. In November 1943, Miller was killed in action. He was serving on the ship Liscome Bay when it was sunk by a Japanese submarine. This happened during the Battle of Makin in the Gilbert Islands.
Two U.S. Navy ships have been named after him. The USS Miller was a frigate that served from 1973 to 1991. In 2020, the Navy announced that a new, large aircraft carrier, CVN-81, would also be named after Doris Miller.
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Early Life
Doris Miller was born in Waco, Texas, on October 12, 1919. His parents were Connery and Henrietta Miller. He was named Doris because the midwife thought he would be a girl. He was the third of four sons. He helped his family by cooking, doing laundry, and working on their farm.
Miller was a strong athlete. He played fullback on his high school football team. He was very tall, about 6 feet 3 inches, and weighed over 200 pounds. He left school and worked on his father's farm. His nickname "Dorie" might have come from a mistake in a newspaper story.
Miller joined the U.S. Navy on September 16, 1939. He became a "mess attendant." At that time, this was one of the few jobs Black sailors could have. Mess attendants helped serve food and clean. After training, he was assigned to the ship Pyro. Then, in 1940, he moved to the battleship West Virginia.
On the West Virginia, Miller became a champion boxer. He was the ship's heavyweight boxing champion. He also spent some time training at a gunnery school. In February 1941, he was promoted to mess attendant second class.
Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Miller was on the West Virginia at Pearl Harbor. At 7:57 a.m., Japanese planes began their surprise attack. Torpedoes hit the West Virginia. The "battle stations" alarm sounded. Miller ran to his assigned anti-aircraft gun station, but it had been destroyed.
He then went to a central part of the ship. He offered to help wherever he was needed. He was ordered to help move wounded sailors to safety. He also helped the ship's captain, Mervyn Bennion, who was badly hurt. Miller and another sailor tried to move the captain to a safer place. Captain Bennion refused to leave his post and kept giving orders. He later died from his wounds.
Miller was then ordered to help load machine guns. These were .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine guns. Miller had never used these guns before. But officers quickly showed him how. He started firing one of the guns at the attacking Japanese planes. He kept firing until he ran out of ammunition. Miller later said, "I think I got one of those Jap planes." He was officially credited with shooting down at least two enemy planes.
The West Virginia was heavily damaged. Bombs and torpedoes caused explosions and fires. Miller helped move more injured sailors through the burning ship. He saved the lives of many people. The ship sank to the bottom of the harbor. Miller and other survivors abandoned the ship.
His Award
After the attack, the Navy recognized Miller's bravery. Many people, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), asked for him to be honored. On March 12, 1942, news stories named Miller as the brave sailor.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved the Navy Cross for Miller. On May 27, 1942, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz personally presented the medal to Miller. This happened on the aircraft carrier Enterprise at Pearl Harbor. Admiral Nimitz said this was the first time such a high honor was given to a Black sailor in the Pacific Fleet. He believed more would follow.
Return to the U.S. and War Duty
In June 1942, Miller was promoted to mess attendant first class. He returned to the United States for a special tour. He helped sell war bonds to support the war effort. He gave talks in California, his hometown of Waco, Texas, and other cities. He was even featured on a Navy recruiting poster in 1943. The poster was titled "Above and beyond the call of duty."
In February 1943, the Navy changed the name "mess attendant" to "steward's mate." In May, Miller was assigned to a new ship. This was the escort carrier Liscome Bay. He was promoted again to cook third class in June. The Liscome Bay carried aircraft and helped protect other ships.
Death in Battle
On November 10, 1943, the Liscome Bay left Pearl Harbor. It joined other ships for the Battle of Makin. This was an invasion of an island by American soldiers. On November 24, the Liscome Bay was near Butaritari island. A Japanese submarine fired a torpedo at the ship.
The torpedo hit the Liscome Bay. The ship's own bombs and torpedoes then exploded. The ship sank very quickly, in just 23 minutes. There were over 900 men on board. Only 272 survived. Doris Miller was among those listed as "presumed dead." His parents were told he was missing in action on December 7, 1943. The Navy officially declared him dead a year later.
Military Awards
Doris Miller received several awards for his service:
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| 1st Row | Navy Cross | Purple Heart (given after his death) | ||||
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| 2nd Row | Combat Action Ribbon (given after his death) | Good Conduct Medal | American Defense Service Medal with "FLEET" clasp | |||
| 3rd Row | American Campaign Medal | Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze stars | World War II Victory Medal (given after his death) | |||
Here is what the Navy Cross award said about Doris Miller:
For distinguished devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and disregard for his own personal safety during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. While at the side of his Captain on the bridge, Miller, despite enemy strafing and bombing and in the face of a serious fire, assisted in moving his Captain, who had been mortally wounded, to a place of greater safety, and later manned and operated a machine gun directed at enemy Japanese attacking aircraft until ordered to leave the bridge.
Legacy
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Doris Miller's bravery is remembered in many ways:
- A large public art display, the Doris Miller Memorial, is in Waco, Texas. It has a nine-foot bronze statue.
- A bronze plaque honors him at the Doris Miller Park housing community near Naval Station Pearl Harbor.
- There is a plaque at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Many schools and community centers are named after him:
- Dorie Miller Intermediate School in Ennis, Texas.
- Doris Miller Elementary Schools in San Antonio, Texas and San Diego, California.
- Doris Miller Middle School in San Marcos, Texas.
- Bledsoe–Miller Community Center in Waco, Texas.
- Doris Miller Auditorium in Austin, Texas.
Two U.S. Navy ships have been named in his honor:
- The USS Miller (FF-1091), a frigate, was in service from 1973 to 1991.
- The USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), a future aircraft carrier, was announced in 2020.
Other places named after him include:
- A building for sailors at Naval Station Great Lakes.
- The main dining hall at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti.
- A dining hall at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois.
- The Doris Miller Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Waco, Texas.
Doris Miller's story has also been shared in media:
- His actions were shown on the CBS Radio series They Live Forever in 1942.
- A radio show called "Dorie Got a Medal" was about him in 1944.
- In the 2001 film Pearl Harbor, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. played Doris Miller.
- His Navy Cross award was shown in the 2019 film Midway.
Other honors include:
- The Dorie Miller Foundation gave awards for race relations.
- Poet Gwendolyn Brooks wrote a poem about him called Negro Hero.
- In 2010, the United States Postal Service honored Miller with a special stamp. He was one of four "Distinguished Sailors" on the stamps.
- Some lawmakers have tried to get Miller the Medal of Honor, but it has not been approved yet.
See also
- Elvin Bell
- Charles French
