About Doris Miller
The December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor took the lives of over 2,400 Americans and left nearly 1,200 wounded. That day, the enemy sought to destroy our ability to wage war in the Pacific by crippling our military fleet.
The scars that we see daily on our historic buildings and memorials serve as a constant reminder of the loss and sacrifice from that fateful moment in history. This is a stark reminder of the bravery displayed by those who watched as our Nation’s flag was strafed and torn by the enemy aircraft, and without hesitation, those Warfighters took up arms to defend our beloved country. One of those Honorable men that we commemorate is, Doris Miller.
Doris Miller was given his name by his mother who thought she was having a girl. When he was born, she decided to keep the name but he went by Dorie. Dorie was born on October 12th 1919, in Waco Texas. Growing up, he worked on his family’s farm and played football in high school. Like many young adults in those days, Dorie had a desire to travel and support his family. In 1939, the United States Navy would give him the opportunity to achieve both of his goals. He enlisted and accepted a position as a ship’s mess attendant. Dorie rose steadily in rank to become the ship’s cook, Third class. In January of 1940, he was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia (BB 48) station at Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i.
The day the Japanese attacked, Dorie was doing laundry below decks on the USS West Virginia. When the ship’s alarm called the crew to battle stations, he supported a gun magazine midship until a torpedo impact damaged the magazine. When Dorie faced adversity, he sprang into action and started carrying the wounded to safety. Among the injured personnel was the ship’s Captain, Mervyn Bennion. Unfortunately, Capt Bennion would succumb to his injuries during the attack.
After assisting with the wounded, Dorie overcame the adversity of seeing his fellow sailors wounded on the deck. He filled the gap and manned a .50 caliber antiaircraft gun and he fired on the enemy until he ran out of ammunition. He then went back to carry wounded sailors to safety through fire and perilous conditions.
Doris Miller’s actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor earned him a commendation from, the Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox. Initially commended only as an unnamed Black man, pressure from the NAACP led to Doris Miller’s identification and the presentation of an award. On April 2, 1942, Miller’s efforts on the West Virginia were dramatized on the CBS radio series, They Live Forever. Although Congressional bills and other calls to grant Miller the Medal of Honor failed, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved awarding Miller the Navy Cross. Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet, presented the Navy Cross to Miller on board the USS Enterprise (CV-6) on May 27, 1942. The Navy Cross is the highest decoration for valor presented by the US Navy. Doris Miller was the first black man to win this award.
Dorie went on to continue serving in the US Navy after the devastating attack he experienced at Pearl Harbor. In 1943, he was aboard the escort carrier Liscome Bay (CVE-56) that was off the Butaritari Atoll in the Gilbert Islands when it was hit by a torpedo. The torpedo detonated the ships bomb magazine causing a devastating explosion that engulfed the ship in flames and caused a mushroom cloud to form several thousand feet above the wreck. Doris Miller was killed in action that day and transitioned to the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Since his death nearly 80 years ago, Doris Miller continues to be recognized posthumously for his patriotism and extraordinary bravery. On June 30, 1973, the US Navy commissioned a frigate, the USS Miller (FF-1091), in his honor. Two more recent examples are: On December 18, 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) honored Miller for his heroism by naming the VA medical center in Waco, Texas, after him. On January 19, 2020, the U.S. Navy announced construction of the aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), an honor traditionally reserved for U.S. Presidents or other high-ranking individuals. The ship is scheduled to be commissioned in January 2030.
At Doris Miller Lodge #6, we labor to honor Doris Miller and the selfless acts of heroism he performed on December 7, 1941. We aim to be men above reproach , both inside and outside our lodge by squaring our actions and circumscribing our desires. We toil to be a shining beacon for others through the noble acts we perform in our community and the men we produce. Like Doris Miller, we strive to be exemplary. Come join us, if you desire to be too.