WW2 Fallen - Pearl Harbor Navy Cross hero Doris Miller, USS West Virginia

Messman Doris Miller earned the Navy Cross serving on the USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9955928/doris-miller
https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-last-pearl-harbor-hero-former-shipfitter-syl-puccio-awarded-the-navy-and-marine-corps-commendation-medal/ 

Doris "Dorie" Miller never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.

He was born on October 12, 1919 in Waco, Texas. His parents Connery and Henrietta were also both born in Texas. They named him Doris because the midwife was convinced it was going to be a girl. His oldest brother was named Silva, another name normally associated with females. Doris was the third of four brothers. His father worked as a farmer. Doris completed eight years of schooling. 

He enlisted in the US Navy on September 16, 1939. At 6' 3" and weighing over 200 pounds, you would think he would have been picked for a role that fit his physique.  However, at that time, opportunities in the navy for blacks was limited to the mess and the laundry. He reached the rank of mess attendant third class and eventually was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia. While there he became their best heavyweight boxer.

West Virginia was on Battleship Row when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Miller's battle station had been destroyed by a torpedo so he reported for other duties. Because of his large size, he was tasked with moving the mortally wounded captain of the ship to a safer location. Next he was taken to a .50 caliber anti-aircraft gun which he had never used before. He was given basic instructions and started firing at the attacking Japanese planes. When he ran out of ammunition, he helped moved wounded sailors to safety, saving many lives.

Efforts were made to award Miller with the Medal of Honor, but the Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox declined the request. Instead he was awarded the Navy Cross in a ceremony with Admiral Chester Nimitz on May 27, 1942. The citation reads as follows:

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.

With the West Virginia out of commission, Messman Miller was reassigned to the cruiser USS Indianapolis. He returned home for a war bond tour during the winter of 1942-43. Returning to service he was assigned as a cook on the escort carrier Liscome Bay. 

Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese submarine on November 24, 1943. It went under in 23 minutes taking more than 600 crewmen to the bottom, including Messman Miller.

He is memorialized at the Court of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. A frigate was named for him in 1972. He is also remembered at Doris Miller Memorial in Waco, Texas.

Thank you Messman Miller for your sacrifice. Let's Earn It for Dorie.

B-17 pilot Dale Fisher was born one year earlier than Doris Miller. You can read about Dale and his brothers John and Frank here.

On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!

I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.

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