Doris Miller Congressional Gold Medal Act

To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Doris Miller, in recognition of his acts of valor while a member of the United States Navy during World War II. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Doris Miller Congressional Gold Medal Act 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Doris Miller, like other African-American sailors of his day, was generally relegated to service-based roles on ships, as the Navy did not allow sailors of color to enlist in combat roles. (2) On December 7, 1941, Doris Miller was serving aboard the USS West Virginia in Hawaii when Japanese torpedo bombers attacked his ship and others at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base—headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. During this infamous attack, Doris Miller manned a gun magazine amidships. When a torpedo damaged the magazine, Doris Miller helped carry the wounded to safety, including his ship’s commander, Captain Mervyn S. Bennion. Doris Miller then manned a .50 caliber antiaircraft gun, for which he had no training, and continued firing on the enemy until he ran out of ammunition and received the order to abandon ship. (3) Doris Miller was acknowledged in the USS West Virginia Action Report, individually, along with other brave personnel for having carried out every order promptly and enthusiastically, even when it meant danger to themselves. They did not attempt to abandon the bridge until ordered to do so. (4) Doris Miller aided other service members and was instrumental in hauling people along through oil and water to the quarterdeck, thereby unquestionably saving the lives of a number of people who might otherwise have been lost. (5) On December 15, 1941, the Navy released its commendations for actions in Pearl Harbor which included one unnamed Negro (6) Doris Miller was recognized by the Navy and awarded the Navy Cross Medal with the citation reading For distinguished devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and disregard for his own personal safety during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. While at the side of his Captain on the bridge, Miller, despite enemy strafing and bombing and in the face of a serious fire, assisted in moving his Captain, who had been mortally wounded, to a place of greater safety, and later manned and operated a machine gun directed at enemy Japanese attacking aircraft until ordered to leave the bridge. (7) On May 27, 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz personally pinned the Navy Cross to Miller’s left breast pocket while on board the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. (8) Doris Miller died in action on November 24, 1943, on board the USS Liscome Bay in the Pacific Ocean after a single Japanese torpedo sank the vessel off the coast of Butaritari Island. 3. Congressional Gold Medal (a) Presentation authorized The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Doris Miller, in recognition of his acts of valor while a member of the Navy during World War II. (b) Design and striking For the purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the Secretary (c) Smithsonian Institution (1) In general Following the award of the gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be available for display as appropriate and made available for research. (2) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the Smithsonian Institution shall make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) available for display elsewhere, particularly at other appropriate locations associated with Doris Miller. 4. Duplicate medals The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 5. Status of medals (a) National medals The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 (b) Numismatic items For purposes of section 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

Summary: This bill provides for the award of a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Doris Miller in recognition of his acts of valor while a member of the U.S. Navy during World War II.