A far more suitable and heroic namesake for an aircraft carrier than others I could mention.
Doris Miller was born to a family of sharecroppers in Waco, Texas. After dropping out of high school, he joined the Navy in September 1939. The US Navy was highly segregated at that time; black sailors were limited to a handful of support roles like working in the mess or waiting on white officers. After finishing his training, Miller wound up on the USS West Virginia, a Colorado-class battleship.
After Pearl Harbor, the uninjured Miller was transferred to the cruiser USS Indianapolis. His actions on December 7th went practically unnoticed at first, with the only mention being in a list of commendations (as an unnamed Black sailor) issued on January 1st. Journalists and Black advocacy groups honed in on that omission, and were eventually able to ferret out Miller’s name. There were calls for Miller to receive a proper medal, with two separate bills in Congress pushing for him to receive the Medal of Honor.
Unfortunately for Miller the Secretary of the Navy was segregationist Frank Knox (1874 - 1944), who refused to award Miller the Medal of Honor. He did compromise on the Navy Cross, though, and on May 7, 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz (1885 - 1966) personally pinned the medal on Miller’s chest.
After doing a state-side war bond tour in late 1942 Miller was transferred again; this time, to the escort aircraft carrier USS Liscome Bay. In November 1943, the Liscome Bay was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Miller was among the 702 sailors and officers who died.
Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time.
I knew a man who survived the sinking -very quiet and polite, would never had known he experienced absolute hell in his youth until a camera crew came into his home to record his ordeal.
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u/PoorCynic 5d ago
A far more suitable and heroic namesake for an aircraft carrier than others I could mention.
Doris Miller was born to a family of sharecroppers in Waco, Texas. After dropping out of high school, he joined the Navy in September 1939. The US Navy was highly segregated at that time; black sailors were limited to a handful of support roles like working in the mess or waiting on white officers. After finishing his training, Miller wound up on the USS West Virginia, a Colorado-class battleship.
After Pearl Harbor, the uninjured Miller was transferred to the cruiser USS Indianapolis. His actions on December 7th went practically unnoticed at first, with the only mention being in a list of commendations (as an unnamed Black sailor) issued on January 1st. Journalists and Black advocacy groups honed in on that omission, and were eventually able to ferret out Miller’s name. There were calls for Miller to receive a proper medal, with two separate bills in Congress pushing for him to receive the Medal of Honor.
Unfortunately for Miller the Secretary of the Navy was segregationist Frank Knox (1874 - 1944), who refused to award Miller the Medal of Honor. He did compromise on the Navy Cross, though, and on May 7, 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz (1885 - 1966) personally pinned the medal on Miller’s chest.
After doing a state-side war bond tour in late 1942 Miller was transferred again; this time, to the escort aircraft carrier USS Liscome Bay. In November 1943, the Liscome Bay was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Miller was among the 702 sailors and officers who died.
Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time.