Legacy and Controversy
Doris Miller holds the distinction of being the first African-American to have won the Navy Cross. Second only to the Medal of Honor, it’s one of the nation’s most distinguished awards for gallantry and valor in combat. Miller received his award in different times, however; in an era where racial biases were still integral elements of mainstream American society. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, upon presenting Miller with the Navy Cross reflected that, “This marks the first time in this conflict that such high tribute has been made in the Pacific Fleet to a member of his [Miller’s] race and I’m sure that the future will see others similarly honored for brave acts.”
Regardless of his intentions, Nimitz’s remarks fanned the flames of an already blazing political and social debate. Once Miller’s exploits became public knowledge, many negro advocacy groups campaigned upon his behalf. The NAACP and members of the black media, for instance, took sides in a Congressional feud concerning the potential of Miller being recommended for the Medal of Honor instead of the Navy Cross. Opponents of the Senate Bill questioned the political aims of its author, since the document was crafted long before all the details of Miller’s plight reached Capitol Hill.
Exacerbating matters was then Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, who staunchly opposed Miller being awarded the Medal of Honor. According to The Dallas Weekly, “A group of historians has discovered that Secretary Knox only wanted to give Dorie Miller a letter of commendation for his actions. It was only after President Roosevelt and Admiral Chester Nimitz intervened that Dorie Miller received the Navy Cross.” A letter of commendation is an unsolicited document that recognizes superior performance of duties, typically delivered to junior service members in a non-wartime environment, and a rather mundane award when compared to the Medal of Honor or Navy Cross.
On a more positive note, a variety of organizations and institutions have recognized Miller’s accomplishments and celebrated the Texan’s life since the conclusion of WWII. The USS Miller (FF-1091) was a Knox-class destroyer that the Navy commissioned in Dorie’s honor. The Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Waco, Texas is currently home to a monument dedicated to the mess attendant-turned-antiaircraft gunner, which is also within the proximity of Doris Miller Drive. At least five public schools, from Texas to California, bear Miller’s name. There’s even a park, replete with bronze plaque and monument, dedicated to Miller’s memory on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor.
While the raid on Pearl Harbor remains, as President Roosevelt predicted, an infamous historical event, it’s the selfless and heroic actions of men like Doris Miller that truly define our collective memories of the Pacific War. Whether manning an antiaircraft gun in the heat of battle, or touring the Southwestern United States as part of a war bond campaign, Miller’s story touched millions of Americans during his time and continues to do so to this day. Dorie Miller was a hero in every sense of the word, a man who paid the ultimate sacrifice for a grateful and indebted nation.