The Story of Doris Miller and What It Means to be An American Hero
Remembering the Black Navy sailor who began the dismantling of racism in the military.
Mess Attendant 2nd Class Doris Miller had never fired an automatic weapon before the morning of December 7, 1941. Yet, in the midst of the deadly attack that turned the tranquil waters of Pearl Harbor into a bloodbath, he grabbed a .50-caliber Browning machine gun and began firing at incoming Japanese fighter pilots.
Miller, a Black sailor aboard the battleship West Virginia, had survival on his mind that fateful morning. But not just his own. As smoke and flames engulfed the ship, he carried his wounded commanding officer to safety (he later died). He also helped to pull his fellow sailors from the oily, fiery water as the lower decks became flooded and the ship began to sink.
As for operating an automatic weapon for the first time, Miller later said, “It wasn’t hard. I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine.”
It wasn't hard.
I find those three words fascinating. Miller was undoubtedly referring to the mechanics of using the weapon. However, I wonder if there was a deeper meaning behind what he said since he’d also made a conscious effort to save the lives of many of his fellow…
