TrueWordMinistry
No Result
View All Result
Thursday, January 21, 2021
  • HOME
  • BLACK NEWS
  • BLACK STARS
  • AFRICA
  • POLITICS
DONATE
Order Book
  • HOME
  • BLACK NEWS
  • BLACK STARS
  • AFRICA
  • POLITICS
No Result
View All Result
TrueWordMinistry
No Result
View All Result
Home Black News

Doris ‘Dorie’ Miller to be Honored by Navy With Aircraft Carrier in His Name

Stephen Small by Stephen Small
January 20, 2020
Reading Time: 4min read
0
doris dorie

RELATED POSTS

Rev. Adam Daniel Williams, Martin L. King Jrs. Grandfather

Young Black Americans who want to explore their roots can take a free birthright trip to Africa. Here’s how

29 notable African Americans who helped change the world

Black History Month is kicking off early this year as one of our lesser mentioned black American heroes gets honored by the U.S. Navy.

World War II hero and Mess Attendant 2nd Class Doris Miller will have a new aircraft carrier named for him according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The announcement is expected to be made at Pearl Harbor on Monday which also happens to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

This will actually be the second warship to be named for Miller as he was previously honored when a Knox-class destroyer escort was named the USS Miller (FF 1091).

Some of you movie buffs out there may remember Miller as played by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2001 historical drama Pearl Harbor, but, outside of that film, I’m afraid he may be one of our black “against all odds” achievers who just doesn’t quite get the recognition he’s earned. So let’s fox that with a little history.

Doris “Dorie” Miller was the first African American to receive the Navy Cross for valor which he earned for manning a machine gun on the USS West Virginia and returning fire against Japanese planes during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

The story goes: In 1941, Miller was 22 years old when he was collecting laundry the day an attack alarm sounded. His normal battle station in an antiaircraft battery magazine was destroyed by a torpedo and he went on deck and carried wounded soldiers to safety before receiving orders to aid his captain who had been badly wounded.

“He headed for his battle station, the antiaircraft battery magazine amidship, only to discover that torpedo damage had wrecked it, so he went on deck,” the Navy account states. “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-cal. Browning anti-aircraft machine gun until he ran out of ammunition and was ordered to abandon ship.”

This was a big deal because, for one, Miller was not trained to operate the gun.

“It wasn’t hard. I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine. I had watched the others with these guns. I guess I fired her for about fifteen minutes,” Miller said according to Star-Advertiser.

Secondly, and more importantly, black soldiers weren’t allowed to man a gun in the Navy in 1941, according to Doreen Ravenscroft, a team leader for the Doris Miller Memorial.

“I think that Doris Miller is an American hero simply because of what he represents as a young man going beyond the call of what’s expected,” said Ravenscroft. “Without him really knowing, he actually was a part of the Civil Rights movement because he changed the thinking in the Navy.”

She added, “In the end, the fact that he didn’t think about what could be repercussions—that wasn’t a thought, when, at the time and in war, he did what was needed in his way to defend the United States of America.”

Adm. Chester W. Nimitz, the commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet, presented the Navy Cross to Miller in Pearl Harbor in May 1942. The following year, in November, Miller died while serving on a ship that was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine.

 

Tags: African American NewsAfrican NewsBlack News
ShareTweetShare
Stephen Small

Stephen Small

Rev. Small realized God was present in his life as a child, and grew into an adult with a passion for knowing and understanding God, people and the difficulties of life. Rev. Small soon can to know Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit has he experienced the storms, trails, and tribulations of life as a Black man in America. Rev. Stephen C. Small survived numerous demonic assaults on his life, which gave meaning to God’s grace and mercy. Rev. Small reasoned that God’s presence in the world gives hope, meaning and purpose; it is the essence of learning, love and relationships. Rev. Small humbled himself and opened his heart and mind to listening, learning and obeying God. On sabbatical from a business career, Rev. Small earned a Biblical Studies degree, and Master of Divinity. Rev. Small’s faith and dedication to serving God is the reason he created Trueword Ministry; TWM’s website as an evangelism tool, designed to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to Africans, African Descendants and the entire human race.

Related Posts

Rev. Adam D. Williams
AFRICAN DIASPORA

Rev. Adam Daniel Williams, Martin L. King Jrs. Grandfather

by Stephen Small
February 8, 2020
0

Rev. Adam Daniel Williams, Minister, civil rights activist, and grandfather of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He also was a...

black scholars
AFRICAN DIASPORA

Young Black Americans who want to explore their roots can take a free birthright trip to Africa. Here’s how

by Stephen Small
February 3, 2020
0

Scholars drumming with artisans from the Arts Centre Market in Accra, Ghana. There are a lot of things that make...

Next Post
image of prophet

God, In God's Word

panel at crossroads

Multiracial Ohio Church Turns Conversations on Race Into Political Action

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended Articles

USA Today’s 1619 Series Is Racist, Radical, and Not Responsible

USA Today’s 1619 Series Is Racist, Radical, and Not Responsible

September 16, 2019
Befitting sendoff? Mugabe’s funeral takes place in almost empty 60,000 seater stadium

Befitting sendoff? Mugabe’s funeral takes place in almost empty 60,000 seater stadium

November 24, 2019
kanye and kim

Kim Kardashian says she wants to honour husband Kanye West’s ‘beautiful’ Christian faith journey

November 16, 2019

Daily Prayer

Tweets by @https://twitter.com/stephencsmall
TrueWordMinistry

Trueword Ministry’s (TWM) website offers 24/7 access to bible lessons, podcasts, sermons and news that inspires. The central purpose of the website is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to Africans, Afro-descendants and friends.

LEARN MORE »

About Us

  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Service
  • Mission Statement
  • Submit A Story
  • Our Ministries

Categories

  • Africa
  • African Diaspora
  • Black News
  • Black Stars
  • Christian Awareness
  • Politics

Sign up for our news letter

Get Bible Lessons, News and Inspiring Articles in your inbox.

© 2021 All rights reserved by TrueWordMinistry.

No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • Podcast
  • PREACHING
  • Weekly Word
  • Black News
  • Black Stars
  • Politics
  • Donation

© 2021 All rights reserved by TrueWordMinistry.