World War II Honoree

Doris “Dorie” Miller

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Waco, Texas

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

FOLLOWING TRAINING AT THE NAVAL TRAINING STATION, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE AMMUNITION SHIP USS PYRO (AE-1) WHERE HE SERVED AS A MESS ATTENDANT, AND ON JANUARY 2, 1940 WAS TRANSFERRED TO USS WEST VIRGINIA (BB-48). IN JULY OF THAT YEAR HE HAD TEMPORARY DUTY ABOARD USS NEVADA (BB-36) AT SECONDARY BATTERY GUNNERY SCHOOL. HE RETURNED TO WEST VIRGINIA AND ON AUGUST 3, AND WAS SERVING IN THAT BATTLESHIP WHEN THE JAPANESE ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. HE HAD ARISEN AT 6 A.M., 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. DURING THE ATTACK, JAPANESE AIRCRAFT DROPPED TWO ARMORED PIERCING BOMBS THROUGH THE DECK OF THE BATTLESHIP AND LAUNCHED FIVE 18-INCH AIRCRAFT TORPEDOES INTO HER PORT SIDE. HEAVILY DAMAGED BY THE ENSUING EXPLOSIONS, AND SUFFERING FROM SEVERE FLOODING BELOW DECKS, THE CREW ABANDONED SHIP WHILE WEST VIRGINIA SLOWLY SETTLED TO THE HARBOR BOTTOM. OF THE 1,541 MEN ON WEST VIRGINIA DURING THE ATTACK, 130 WERE KILLED AND 52 WOUNDED. 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 AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE IN BATTLE. HIS 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.' ON DECEMBER 13, 1941, MILLER REPORTED TO USS INDIANAPOLIS (CA-35), AND SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED TO THE WEST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES IN 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 TO 23 1943. AT 5:10 A.M. ON NOVEMBER 24 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 LISCOME BAY. ONLY 272 SAILORS SURVIVED THE SINKING OF LISCOME BAY, WHILE 646 DIED. IN ADDITION TO THE NAVY CROSS, HE WAS ENTITLED TO THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL; THE AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, FLEET CLASP; THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL; AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL. COMMISSIONED ON 30 JUNE 1973, USS MILLER (FF-1091), A KNOX-CLASS FRIGATE, WAS NAMED IN HONOR OF DORIS MILLER.