Humble Beginnings
Doris Miller was a Texas native, born in Waco on October 12, 1919. One of four boys, his parents (Henrietta and Conery Miller) provided the brothers with a modest upbringing. Miller was a natural athlete and made full use of his powerful 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound frame as an accomplished fullback at A. J. Moore High School. He struggled academically, however, and dropped out of school after repeating the eighth grade. Prior to enlisting in the Navy, Miller spent his spare time hunting small game, while considering a career in taxidermy. He applied to the Civilian Conservation Corps but was turned down, which prompted him to consider military service.
Miller spent a considerable amount of time on his father’s farm, where he worked as a general laborer prior to enlisting in the U.S. Navy. He entered active duty service in 1939, attended boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, and pursued follow-on training at Naval Training Station, Norfolk, Virginia. Upon completing the latter course of instruction, Miller was appointed as a Mess Attendant, Third Class, and stationed aboard the ammunition ship USS Pyro. Miller spent a brief and unremarkable tour on the Pyro, leaving the assignment for a posting in the West Virginia, during the winter of 1940.
On top of knowing his way around the kitchen, Miller also proved his prowess in the ring, becoming the West Virginia’s heavyweight boxing champion during the first few months of his tour. In July 1940, Miller temporarily served aboard the USS Nevada at Secondary Battery Gunnery School. He returned to the West Virginia on August 3, 1940, and remained part of her crew until the attack at Pearl Harbor in 1941. The attack claimed 130 of Miller’s shipmates, with another 52 wounded or missing in action. Miller’s subsequent assignments included time aboard the USS Indianapolis and the USS Liscome Bay.
Miller saw combat action after Pearl Harbor, unfortunately losing his life to a Japanese torpedo during the Battle of Makin, sometime between 23-25 November 1943. Taking place near the Makin Atoll, the costly engagement was critical to the success of America’s “island hopping” campaign in the Pacific. Miller’s ship, the Liscome Bay, was attacked by a Japanese submarine while performing escort operations around the Gilbert Islands. A series of secondary explosions resulted in the destruction and sinking of the escort carrier, with over 600 men being presumed missing in action. The Navy officially declared Miller dead on December 7, 1943, exactly two years after the attack at Pearl Harbor.
In addition to the Navy Cross, Miller earned several other awards, including the Purple Heart Medal, the American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp), the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. He quickly advanced through the ranks, from Mess Attendant Third Class to Mess Attendant First Class, eventually achieving the rating of Petty Officer, Ship’s Cook, Third Class. Popular convention holds that Miller’s nickname stemmed from a typo printed in the Pittsburgh Courier following his actions at Pearl Harbor. Regardless of its origins, the name resounded with many of Miller’s shipmates, who routinely referred to the likable cook simply as “Dorie.”