Doris Miller

Who was Doris Miller?

Doris "Dorie" Miller was a cook in the United States Navy noted for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the third highest honor awarded by the U.S. Navy at the time, after the Medal of Honor and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. The Navy Cross now precedes the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Miller's acts were heavily publicized in the black press, making him the iconic emblem of the war for blacks—their "Number One Hero"—thereby energizing black support for the war effort against a colored Japanese enemy. Nearly two years after Pearl Harbor, he was killed in action when the USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the Battle of Makin.