VALOR

[A Life Aloft]

The U.S.S. Miller Will Be the Navy's First Aircraft Carrier Named for an African-American

Miller is noted for his heroics during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, when he took control of a machine gun on the U.S.S. West Virginia and fired back at Japanese planes. He later received the Navy Cross for valor, making him the first African-American to receive the honor.


While gathering laundry on the U.S.S. West Virginia the day of the Pearl Harbor attack, Miller heard the alarm on his ship sound. He went to his battlestation, but it was damaged by enemy fire. After attempting to help a mortally wounded commanding officer, Miller manned a .50 caliber anti-aircraft machine gun and fired at the Japanese planes until he ran out of ammunition. He then helped other injured sailors evacuate.


“I think that Doris Miller is an American hero simply because of what he represents as a young man going beyond the call of what’s expected,” Doreen Ravenscroft, a team leader for the Doris Miller Memorial, told the Associated Press.


Ravenscroft also told the AP that African-American men in the Navy were not allowed to man a gun in 1941.


“Without him really knowing, he actually was a part of the Civil Rights movement because he changed the thinking in the Navy,” Ravenscroft added.


Miller died aboard the U.S.S. Liscome Bay when it was hit by a Japanese torpedo two years after Pearl Harbor.

 

[Lawman]

His historic record of Valor under fire is the basis for the character played by Cuba Golding Jr in Michael’s Bay’s Pearl Harbor.

Obviously some liberties taken from historical accuracy for the sake of story telling and narrative construction.


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[Boots2Wings]

I know the profanity filters wont allow it through, but my mind is just screaming “ABOUT ……..TIME!” Well deserved imho.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Navy Cross citation reads: “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.”

 

[Murdoughnut]

I ended up down a rabbit hole about the Liscombe Bay - sad story, fresh off the assembly line and gets torpedoed on its first mission.

 

[fholbert]

I ended up down a rabbit hole about the Liscombe Bay - sad story, fresh off the assembly line and gets torpedoed on its first mission.

Me too, just finished. Torpedo hit the worst place possible, in the bomb storage bay. Sank in 22 minutes.

Having an Aircraft Carrier named after you. What an honor! Most Presidents don’t get that.

 

[Oxman]

Better than just a Mess Hall in Djibouti.

 

[NovemberEcho]

Wasn’t he credited with actually shooting down a couple planes as well?

 

[Cory Trevor]

Can’t wait for the USS Dacuj

 

[USMCmech]

Having an Aircraft Carrier named after you. What an honor! Most Presidents don’t get that.

We already have too many ships named after politicians who never served in any capacity to be overlooking MOH winners.

(No disrespect intended to Gabby Giffords, I just don’t see why she rated a ship).

 

[dustoff17]

This is a great honor, well deserved. the original citation reads like a CMH.

.................
Having an Aircraft Carrier named after you. What an honor! Most Presidents don’t get that.

The USS Trump will self-torpedo. And the USS Biden will be so old and outdated by the time it launches, it will be functionally worthless.

 

[dustoff17]

We already have too many ships named after politicians who never served in any capacity to be overlooking MOH winners.

(No disrespect intended to Gabby Giffords, I just don’t see why she rated a ship).

"Gabby" Gabreski would have made more sense........

 

[A Life Aloft]

His historic record of Valor under fire is the basis for the character played by Cuba Golding Jr in Michael’s Bay’s Pearl Harbor.

Obviously some liberties taken from historical accuracy for the sake of story telling and narrative construction.

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I did not know this at all. Thanks for telling me. He was a really remarkable, courageous man who to me , epitomizes true Valor. It's like both Falluja battles, the real Black Hawk Down story , The Long Road Home by Martha Raddatz and many of the true history of all of our Special Forces. These men are my real heroes and they are in my thoughts, prayers and heart on a daily basis.