Doris Miller

Doris Miller (history.navy)

Doris Miller never thought that he would be able to fire a gun. He enlisted as a Mess Attendant on the USS Pyro. Doris Miller later was promoted to a third class cook on the USS West Virginia. He was posted there on December 7 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Doris Miller got to finally fire a gun that day. He was known to his friends and family as "Dorie". He lived in Waco, Texas his whole life until he joined the Navy. Even though Doris Miller survived Pearl Harbor, he tragically died November 24, 1943. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery before he died.

Doris Miller was born October 12, 1919 in Waco, Texas. He had three brothers, one who was in World War II also. Miller went to Moore High School in Waco, Texas. There he was a fullback on their football team. When he played football his nickname was the "Raging Bull". He was called this because of his weight and height. Even though he was a star on their football team, he was still a good student. Doris Miller never went to college, he instead helped work on his father's farm. He stayed working at the farm until 1939 when he enlisted in the Navy as a Mess Attendant.

Doris Miller recieving the Navy Cross (history.navy)

On September 16, 1939 Miller enlisted in the Navy. After his training at Norfolk, Virginia he was posted on the USS Pyro, an ammunition ship. Miller enlisted so he could supply his family with money and travel the world. Miller soon after was promoted to Mess Attendant second and later first class. He was then transferred to the USS West Virginia. There he was promoted to a third class cook and became the heavyweight boxing champion on the ship. Sometime later he was transferred to the USS Nevada to train with weaponry. On August 3, 1940 he was transferred back to the USS West Virginia. He was serving there when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

Miller woke up at 6:00 am on December 7, 1941, to begin collecting laundry. While he was collecting laundry, the alarm for general quarters rang. At first Miller thought it was a drill until he heard the fire of machine guns. He then rushed up to his battle station, an Anti Aircraft turret ammunition supplier. Once he got there the whole turret was destroyed. He then thought going on deck was the smartest thing to do. Once he arrived he was ordered to carry wounded soldiers to the first aid station. When the captain of the ship was wounded by a bomb, Miller tried to carry the captain but the captain refused to go. The captain then lay on the deck till his death. While Miller then ran to get a 50 caliber machine gun to shoot Japanese planes he saw that the Japanese were kamikaze. One of the Japanese planes crashed into the USS Arizona and sank it.

Cuba Gooding jr. as Miller in Pearl Harbor. (National Geographic)

Doris Miller just picked up the gun and started shooting at Japanese planes and shot one down. Once the Japanese fired a torpedo and began to sink the ship, Miller stayed on till the ship almost completely sunk. Then Miller finally abandoned ship. Miller later was awarded the Navy Cross by Admiral Chester Nimitz. On November 24 Miller was on an escort aircraft carrier when his ship got struck by a torpedo. The torpedo didn't sink the ship but part of the explosion detonated an aircraft bomb. Of the 242 men that survived, Miller wasn't one of them. Miller's memorial service was April 30, 1944 at the Waco second Baptist Church.

Even though Doris Miller didn't donate money or help children in need he still saved many lives by shooting down one plane. One plane could have killed many people but Doris Miller shot the plane and became a lifesaver. In the 2001 film Pearl Harbor Miller is played by Cuba Gooding Jr. Miller was really brave that day and that is probably why he was portrayed in Pearl Harbor. Miller has many memorials because of his bravery. Most of the memorials are in his hometown of Waco, Texas. Doris Miller will always be remembered for his bravery on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. I think Miller is a hero because he showed a lot of bravery when America really needed it.