Doris Miller Doris " Dorie " Miller ( October 12 , 1919November 24 , 1943 ) was a cook in the United States Navy noted for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 , 1941 . He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross , the third highest honor awarded by the U . S . Navy at the time , after the Medal of Honor and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal . The Navy Cross now precedes the Navy Distinguished Service Medal . Miller ' s acts were heavily publicized in the black press , making him the iconic emblem of the war for blacks — their " Number One Hero " — thereby energizing black support for the war effort against a colored Japanese enemy . Early life and education . Miller was born in Waco , Texas , on October 12 , 1919 , to Connery and Henrietta Miller . He was the third of four sons and helped around the house , cooking meals and doing laundry , as well as working on the family farm . Miller was a good student and was a fullback on the football team at Waco ′ s A . J . Moore Academy . He was called the " Raging Bull " because of his emotions . Large for his age , he was expelled from school before graduating for fighting with students who insulted him because of his race . On January 25 , 1937 , at age 17 , he began attending the eighth grade again . Forced to repeat the grade the following year , Miller decided to drop out of school . He filled his time squirrel hunting with a . 22 rifle and completed a correspondence course in taxidermy . Miller applied to join the Civilian Conservation Corps , but was not accepted . By now he was tall and weighed more than . Miller worked on his father ′ s farm until shortly before his 20th birthday . On September 16 , 1939 , he enlisted in the United States Navy , where he became a Mess Attendant , Third Class , one of the few ratings then open to African Americans . Following training at the Naval Training Station , Norfolk , Virginia , he was assigned to the ammunition ship , but on January 2 , 1940 was transferred to the battleship , where he became the main cook . In July , he was on temporary duty on the " Nevada " at the Secondary Battery Gunnery School . He returned to his ship in August and was promoted to Ship ' s Cook , Third Class . Miller ' s nickname " Dorie " apparently originated in a typographical error . After he was nominated for recognition for his actions on December 7 , 1941 , the " Pittsburgh Courier " released a story on March 14 , 1942 , that gave his name as " Dorie Miller " . Since then some writers have suggested it was a " nickname to shipmates and friends . " Career . Attack on Pearl Harbor . On December 7 , 1941 , Miller awoke at 0600 . After serving breakfast mess , he was collecting laundry when the first of nine torpedoes to hit the " West Virginia " was launched at 0757 by Lt . Commander Shigeharu Murata of the Japanese carrier Akagi . Miller headed for his battle station , an antiaircraft battery magazine amidship , only to discover that torpedo damage had destroyed it . He went instead to " Times Square " , a central spot where the fore to aft and port to starboard passageways crossed , and reported himself available for other duty . Miller was spotted by Lieutenant Commander Doir C . Johnson , the ship ' s communications officer , who ordered the powerfully built sailor to accompany him to the bridge to assist with moving the ship ' s Captain Mervyn Bennion , who had a gaping wound in his abdomen where he had apparently been hit by shrapnel . Miller and another sailor lifted the skipper and , unable to remove him from the bridge , carried him from an exposed position on the damaged bridge to a sheltered spot behind the conning tower . The Captain refused to leave his post and questioned his officers about the condition of the ship , giving various orders . The Captain remained on the bridge until his death . Lieutenant Frederic H . White ordered Miller to help him and Ensign Victor Delano load the unmanned # 1 and # 2 Browning . 50 caliber anti - aircraft machine gun s aft of the conning tower . Miller wasn ' t familiar with the machine gun , but White and Delano told him what to do . Miller had served both men as a room steward and knew them well . Delano expected Miller to feed ammunition to one gun , but his attention was diverted , and when he looked again Miller was firing one of the guns . White had loaded ammo into both guns and assigned Miller the starboard gun . Miller fired the gun until he ran out of ammo , when he was ordered by Lieutenant Claude V . Ricketts along with Lt . White and Chief Signalman A . A . Siewart to help carry the Captain up to the navigation bridge out of the thick oily smoke generated by the many fires on and around the ship . Bennion was only partially conscious at this point and died soon after . Japanese aircraft eventually dropped two armor - piercing bombs through the deck of the battleship and launched five aircraft torpedoes into her port side . When the attack finally lessened , Lt . White ordered Miller to help move injured sailors through oil and water to the quarterdeck , thereby " unquestionably saving the lives of a number of people who might otherwise have been lost . " With the ship heavily damaged by the bombs , torpedoes and following explosions , the crew prevented her from capsizing by counter - flooding a number of compartments , and the " West Virginia " sank to the harbor bottom as her crew — including Miller — abandoned ship . Commendation . On December 15 , Miller was transferred to the . On January 1 , 1942 , the Navy released a list of commendations for actions on December 7 . Among them was a single commendation for an unnamed Negro . The NAACP asked President Franklin D . Roosevelt to award the Distinguished Service Cross to the unknown Negro sailor . The Navy Board of Awards in Washington D . C . received a recommendation that the sailor be considered for recognition . On March 12 , 1942 , Dr . Lawrence D . Reddick announced , after corresponding with the Navy , that the name of the unknown Negro sailor was " Doris Miller . " The next day , Senator James N . Mead ( D - NY ) introduced a Senate Bill [ Senate Reso S . 2392 ] to award Miller the Medal of Honor , although he did not yet know the basis for Miller ' s deeds . Four days later , Representative John D . Dingell , Sr . ( D - MI ) introduced a matching bill [ H . R . 6800 ] . On March 21 , The Pittsburgh " Courier " initiated a write - in campaign to send Miller to the Naval Academy . Miller was recognized as one of the " first heroes of World War II " . He was commended in a letter signed by Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox on April 1 , 1942 , and the next day CBS radio broadcast an episode of the series , " They Live Forever " , which dramatized Miller ' s actions . On May 27 , 1942 Miller was personally recognized by Admiral Chester W . Nimitz , Commander in Chief , Pacific Fleet , aboard the aircraft carrier . Nimitz presented Miller with the Navy Cross , the third - highest award for gallantry during combat that the Navy awarded at the time . Miller was cited for : Nimitz told Miller , " This marks the first time in this conflict that such high tribute has been made in the Pacific Fleet to a member of his race and I ' m sure that the future will see others similarly honored for brave acts . " Negro organizations began a campaign to give Miller additional recognition . The All - Southern Negro Youth Conference on April 17 – 19 , 1942 launched a signature campaign . On May 10 , the National Negro Congress denounced Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox ' s recommendation against awarding Miller the Medal of Honor . However , on May 11 , President Franklin D . Roosevelt approved the Navy Cross for Miller . Miller was presented the Navy Cross on May 27 , 1942 . World War II service . Miller was promoted to Mess Attendant First Class on June 1 , 1942 . On June , 27 , The " Pittsburgh Courier " called for Miller to be allowed to return home for a war bond tour like white heroes . On November 23 , Miller returned to Pearl Harbor and was ordered on a war bond tour while still attached to the heavy cruiser . In December 1942 and January 1943 , he gave talks in Oakland , California , in his hometown of Waco , Texas , in Dallas , and to the first graduating class of African - American sailors from Great Lakes Naval Training Station , Chicago . In its February 6 , 1943 issue , the " Pittsburgh Courier " continued to hammer to return Miller for a war bond tour . The caption to Miller ′ s photo in the article read , " He fought . . . Keeps Mop " , while another hero of the Pearl Harbor attack received an officer ' s commission . It said that Miller was " too important waiting tables in the Pacific to return him " , even though in fact he was already on tour . Miller reported for duty at Puget Sound Navy Yard on May 15 , 1943 . His was made a Petty Officer , Ship ′ s Cook Third Class , on June 1 when he reported to the escort carrier . Death . After training in Hawaii , the " Liscome Bay " took part in the Battle of Makin Island beginning on November 20 . On November 24 , the ship was struck in the stern by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine " I - 175 " . The aircraft bomb magazine detonated a few moments later , causing the ship to sink within minutes . There were 272 survivors from the crew of over 900 , but Miller was not among them . Along with two - thirds of the crew , he was listed as " presumed dead " . Two years after his heroic actions at Pearl Harbor , on December 7 , 1943 , Miller ′ s parents were informed that their son was " Missing in action " . A memorial service was held on April 30 , 1944 , at the Waco , Texas , Second Baptist Church , sponsored by the Victory Club . On 28 May , a granite marker was dedicated at Moore High School to honor Doris Miller . On 25 November 1944 , Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal announced to the public that Miller was " presumed dead " .