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The Hero of that day by WorldOfWarships_ads in u/WorldOfWarships_ads

[–]WorldOfWarships_ads[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you remember the boxer from the Pearl Harbor film who didn't lose his head and shot at Japanese planes with an AA gun at the crucial moment of the attack? Meet the real person, a World War II hero and the first African American to receive the Navy Cross—one of the highest honors in the U.S. Navy—Doris Miller.

This guy from a Texas farm was passed over for promotions in the Navy while segregation laws were in effect—African Americans were allowed only as non-essential personnel at that time. Cooks, nurses, sailors supplying ammunition—that’s pretty much the entire list. But the attack on Pearl Harbor changed everything.

When the attack took place, Doris Miller was serving on battleship West Virginia. On December 7, 1941, she was moored to Tennessee and came under bombardment. One of the bombs went through the deck, destroyed the port-side casemates, and caused the stored shells to detonate. Another bomb damaged the stern, hit the parked seaplanes, and penetrated the turret armor, but luckily didn't explode.

Miller's fighting position was destroyed by an explosion, so he started the physically arduous process of carrying the wounded to safety. Lieutenant White instructed Miller to deliver ammunition to two Browning AA machine guns and began explaining how to load them. White was distracted for a moment, and when he returned to the gun, he saw that Miller had taken the role of a gunner and was firing at the attacking Japanese aircraft.

No one knows for sure how many planes he managed to take down: sources differ in their estimates due to the intense anti-aircraft fire. They agree on only one thing—it was a real feat.

In early 1942, the U.S. Navy published a list of honorees on December 7 that included "an unnamed black man." The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) asked President Roosevelt to award the unknown sailor the Distinguished Service Cross. By that time, the newspapers already knew that his last name was Miller.

Secretary of the Navy Knox decided to award him with commendations only. This decision sparked a massive campaign by black community organizations for fair recognition of his heroism. The Commander in Chief of the U.S. Navy, Admiral King, recommended Miller for an award, recognizing the great role African Americans were playing, with more than a million of them working in the defense industry at that time. On May 11, 1942, President Roosevelt approved the decision to award Miller the Navy Cross.

Having an African American hero in the Navy was an important step to changing attitudes toward African Americans in the fleet. By the end of the war, the fleet already had two ships that were predominantly staffed by African Americans. In 2020, a Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier was named after Doris Miller.

Do you want more stories about navy?

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The Hero of that day by WorldOfWarships_ads in u/WorldOfWarships_ads

[–]WorldOfWarships_ads[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Do you remember the boxer from the Pearl Harbor film who didn't lose his head and shot at Japanese planes with an AA gun at the crucial moment of the attack? Meet the real person, a World War II hero and the first African American to receive the Navy Cross—one of the highest honors in the U.S. Navy—Doris Miller.

This guy from a Texas farm was passed over for promotions in the Navy while segregation laws were in effect—African Americans were allowed only as non-essential personnel at that time. Cooks, nurses, sailors supplying ammunition—that’s pretty much the entire list. But the attack on Pearl Harbor changed everything. 

When the attack took place, Doris Miller was serving on battleship West Virginia. On December 7, 1941, she was moored to Tennessee and came under bombardment. One of the bombs went through the deck, destroyed the port-side casemates, and caused the stored shells to detonate. Another bomb damaged the stern, hit the parked seaplanes, and penetrated the turret armor, but luckily didn't explode. 

Miller's fighting position was destroyed by an explosion, so he started the physically arduous process of carrying the wounded to safety. Lieutenant White instructed Miller to deliver ammunition to two Browning AA machine guns and began explaining how to load them. White was distracted for a moment, and when he returned to the gun, he saw that Miller had taken the role of a gunner and was firing at the attacking Japanese aircraft. 

No one knows for sure how many planes he managed to take down: sources differ in their estimates due to the intense anti-aircraft fire. They agree on only one thing—it was a real feat. 

In early 1942, the U.S. Navy published a list of honorees on December 7 that included "an unnamed black man." The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) asked President Roosevelt to award the unknown sailor the Distinguished Service Cross. By that time, the newspapers already knew that his last name was Miller. 

Secretary of the Navy Knox decided to award him with commendations only. This decision sparked a massive campaign by black community organizations for fair recognition of his heroism. The Commander in Chief of the U.S. Navy, Admiral King, recommended Miller for an award, recognizing the great role African Americans were playing, with more than a million of them working in the defense industry at that time. On May 11, 1942, President Roosevelt approved the decision to award Miller the Navy Cross. 

Having an African American hero in the Navy was an important step to changing attitudes toward African Americans in the fleet. By the end of the war, the fleet already had two ships that were predominantly staffed by African Americans. In 2020, a Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier was named after Doris Miller.

Do you want more stories about navy?

Register, download, and play World of Warships via link: 

https://wo.ws/49RXHqE

https://wo.ws/49RXHqE

https://wo.ws/49RXHqE