Who is doris miller

Use the up and down arrows to navigate this combo box. Press enter on the item you wish to view. This will take you to the page listed. Doris Miller - Above and beyond the call of duty Doris Miller, the son of Texas sharecroppers and grandson of slaves, rose to national attention for bravery displayed during the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, Chester W. Nimitz at a ceremony held on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Enterprise at Pearl Harbor, 27 May National Archives.

Other VA History Links. Segregation meant that black Americans like Miller could not participate fully, and were not allowed in combat positions Kelly, However, on December 7, , Miller changed the course of history. When Japanese planes began bombing the ship, Miller sprang into duty, collecting bodies of the injured and dead Kelly, Moore High School.

His tall stature gained the attention of the football coach at the school who recruited Doris as a fullback on the team. However, as Doris became older, and as war loomed on the horizon, he longed to join the armed forces much to the chagrin of his parents. Unfortunately, at the time of his enlistment, discrimination limited the areas of service for African Americans in the military. After training, his assignment was as a mess attendant, third class. It was from this station that Miller answered the call in extraordinary circumstances.

Assigned to the USS West Virginia anchored at Pearl Harbor, on December 7, , Doris was collecting laundry in the hull of the ship when the attack began, according to some reports. As the air raid sirens started, Doris Miller burst into action.

When he ran to the deck of the ship, he saw his captain sprawled, fatally wounded, on the ground. Miller pulled the wounded captain to safety before racing back to an unmanned antiaircraft gun in the midst of low-flying planes and a rain of bullets.

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