The Heroics of Doris Miller

Have you ever heard of an African-American sailor named Doris Miller? Well, his story is vital to U.S. history and a masterclass in courage, selflessness, and integrity.

Doris Miller was a third-class enlisted man who worked as a cook at the U.S. Naval Base in Pearl Harbor before WWII. On December 7, 1941, he was onboard the USS West Virginia serving breakfast and collecting laundry when the battleship was rocked by a series of torpedoes. As chaos reigned around him, Miller sprung into action. First, he escorted commanding officer Mervyn Bennion — who had suffered a serious shrapnel wound to his abdomen — to a safe location. (Bennion would later succumb to his injuries).

Then, Miller was ordered to help another ensign load the unmanned Number 1 and 2 anti-aircraft machine guns. Although he had no training in any of this, he followed the orders of others and fired his weapon until he ran out of ammunition. When the fusillade finally ceased, Miller helped move other injured sailors through oil and water to the quarterdeck, unquestionably saving lives.

His selfless sacrifice that December morning earned him the Navy Cross — at the time the third-highest Navy award for gallantry during combat. But the truth is Doris Miller’s bravery was on display in the segregated Navy well before Pearl Harbor. He endured racist taunts from those around him in the months leading up to the attack but always turned the other cheek. On December 7, 1941, all he cared about was doing his job to save his fellow countryman — even if it might’ve been one of his verbal abusers.

After his heroics at Pearl Harbor, Miller continued to serve his country in WWII, but on November 20, 1943, his ship was struck in the Battle of Makin. The Navy declared him “presumed dead.”

On Monday, nearly 80 years after Doris Miller’s gallantry, Navy officials announced a new aircraft carrier will be named after him, the first time in U.S. history an African-American will receive such an honor.

“Doris Miller stood for everything that is good about our nation, and his story deserves to be remembered and repeated wherever our people continue the watch today,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said in a statement.

Fittingly, the Navy said the ship will be a top asset for crisis response and humanitarian relief.

Today, let us all pause to reflect on the life of Doris Miller and remind ourselves that there is no legacy like that of selfless sacrifice. As you go about your day, make sure you judge based on the content of one’s character alone. Nothing else.

🙏📈🔼Upvote The Daily Coach on ProductHunt 🔼📈🙏

Please forward and share this email with your friends and family.