World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Doris 'Dorrie' Miller
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Hometown
Waco, Texas
Honored By
Ralph Bozorth
HE WAS A SHIP'S COOK 3RD CLASS ON THE BATTLESHIP USS WEST VIRGINIA BB-48 WHEN THE JAPANESE ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. HE HAD ARISEN AT 6:00 AM AND WAS COLLECTING LAUNDRY WHEN THE ALARM FOR GENERAL QUARTERS SOUNDED. HE HEADED FOR HIS BATTLE STATION, THE ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERY MAGAZINE AMIDSHIPS, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT TORPEDO DAMAGE HAD WRECKED IT, SO HE WENT ON DECK. BECAUSE OF HIS PHYSICAL PROWESS, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO CARRY WOUNDED FELLOW SAILORS TO PLACES OF GREATER SAFETY. THEN AN OFFICER ORDERED HIM TO THE BRIDGE TO AID THE MORTALLY WOUNDED CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP. HE SUBSEQUENTLY MANNED A .50 CALIBER BROWNING ANTI-AIRCRAFT MACHINE GUN UNTIL HE RAN OUT OF AMMUNITION AND WAS ORDERED TO ABANDON SHIP. HE WAS COMMENDED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY FRANK KNOX ON APRIL 1, 1942 AND ON MAY 27, 1942 HE RECEIVED THE NAVY CROSS, WHICH FLEET ADMIRAL (THEN ADMIRAL) CHESTER W. NIMITZ, THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF PACIFIC FLEET PERSONALLY PRESENTED TO HIM ON BOARD THE USS ENTERPRISE CV-6 FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE IN BATTLE. ON DECEMBER 13, 1941 HE REPORTED TO THE USS INDIANAPOLIS CA-35 AND SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED TO THE WEST COAST OF THE U.S. NOVEMBER 1942. ASSIGNED TO THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED USS LISCOME BAY CVE-56 IN THE SPRING OF 1943, HE WAS ON BOARD THAT ESCORT CARRIER DURING OPERATION GALVANIC, THE SEIZURE OF MAKIN AND TARAWA ATOLLS IN THE GILBERT ISLANDS. LISCOME BAY'S AIRCRAFT SUPPORTED OPERATIONS ASHORE BETWEEN NOVEMBER 20-30,1943. AT 5:10 AM ON NOVEMBER 24, 1943 WHILE CRUISING NEAR BUTARITARI ISLAND, A SINGLE TORPEDO FROM JAPANESE SUBMARINE I-175 STRUCK THE ESCORT CARRIER NEAR THE STERN. THE AIRCRAFT BOMB MAGAZINE DETONATED A FEW MOMENTS LATER, SINKING THE WARSHIP WITHIN MINUTES. LISTED AS MISSING FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF THAT ESCORT CARRIER, HE WAS OFFICIALLY PRESUMED DEAD NOVEMBER 25, 1944, A YEAR AND A DAY AFTER THE LOSS OF THE USS LISCOME BAY. IN ADDITION TO THE NAVY CROSS, HE WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, FLEET CLASP, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL. THE USS MILLER FF-1091, A KNOX-CLASS FRIGATE, WAS NAMED IN HONOR OF DORIS MILLER.