An Old Timey Podcast - 121: Doris Miller: Duty, Honor, and the Fight for Recognition

Episode Date: September 16, 2026

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked the U.S. Naval Station at Pearl Harbor. During that chaotic scene, a Black sailor named Doris “Dorie” Miller shot down a Japanese plane and saved an untold number of lives. Doris Miller’s actions were particularly heroic, given the fact that the Navy’s racist policies barred him from serving in a combat role. In fact, he’d only been trained to serve food. For decades, people have fought for Doris Miller to get the recognition that he deserves. The government has been slow to recognize his heroism. But, a few years ago, the acting Secretary of the Navy announced that a future aircraft carrier would be named the USS Doris Miller (CVN-81). Last month, CNN reported that the White House might rescind that decision – opting to name it the USS Donald Trump instead. Needless to say, Normie C had some thoughts about that. Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: Britzky, Haley, and Pamela Brown. “Exclusive: Navy Weighs Renaming Carrier Slated to Honor Black War Hero, Potentially Switching It to Trump.” CNN, August 20, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/20/politics/navy-weighs-renaming-carrier-black-war-hero-to-trump.CBS Sunday Morning. Aircraft Carrier to Be Named after Pearl Harbor Hero. 2020. 07:05. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPIHx_fik-0.Cutrer, Thomas W., and T. Michael Parrish. Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor, and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement. Texas A&M University Press, 2018.Dudley, Margaret. “The Unforeseen Legacy of Doris Miller.” National Museum of the Pacific War, October 26, 2023. https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/learn/articles/the-unforeseen-legacy-of-doris-miller.English, Molly. “Trump Says ‘Nobody Will’ Build Monuments for Him Once He’s Gone.” KTEN, September 4, 2026. https://www.kten.com/news/politics/trump-says-nobody-will-build-monuments-for-him-once-he-s-gone/article_c5df451c-87aa-5e20-94a4-af52c1035877.html.Forbes Breaking News. “It Caused A Lot Of Concerns”: Relative Reacts To Navy Mulling Rename USS Doris Miller To USS Trump. 2026. 04:28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Q_z1t-lis.Naval History and Heritage Command. “The Sinking of USS Liscome Bay.” November 24, 2014. https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nnam/education/articles/history-up-close/the-sinking-of-uss-liscome-bay.html.NBC News. “Pentagon Restores Histories of Navajo Code Talkers, Other Native Veterans after Public Outcry.” March 20, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pentagon-restores-histories-navajo-code-talkers-native-veterans-public-rcna197215.The National Medal of Honor Museum. “The Medal.” https://mohmuseum.org/medal-recipients/learn-about-the-medal.Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Hear ye, hear ye. You are listening to an old-timey podcast. I'm Normie C. And I'm Kristen Caruso. And on this episode, I'll be talking about a hero at Pearl Harbor. Oh. That's right, Kristen. A true, genuine American hero.

Is this going to be a lot of war stuff? Um... Look at how people. Just skip to the next episode. You don't want to hear this. If we're talking about a hero at Pearl Harbor, yeah, we're going to talk about war. Okay. It cannot be avoided.

Well, before you get to that, let me brag to the people. People, last week we announced that we put our bonus episodes up on YouTube. Yeah. For a fee, you have to be a member of our YouTube channel. And my mom reached out with questions. And if my mom is asking questions, that means that someone out there is also asking those same questions. She asked, wait, but I'm a patron. Is there new stuff on YouTube?

Should I sign up for that? And I said, no, you should? Our Patreon bonus episodes are now on YouTube. So if Patreon's not your thing, you can go to YouTube. Watch all those big, beautiful bonus episodes. Yeah. I mean, some people prefer watching the videos on YouTube. So, like, if that's your thing, this is the perfect way to do that.

You can get everything on YouTube. No one likes a bragger. But sometimes you accomplish something so big that you have to tell people. Content creators, you might want to skip forward. Okay, you don't want to hear this. but we announced our YouTube members-only section. And guess what? We've got four people on there now.

We got four. Shout out to those four history hosts, supporting us on YouTube. They can go to KFC split a bucket. I don't think we can do that. YouTube takes a cut of that, Kristen. No, I'm saying that that's such a small number. They could go share a meal together. That's what I'm saying.

I was talking about the revenue generated. Yeah. Oh yeah, we could definitely share a bucket. So anyway, we've got monthly bonus episodes up there, monthly bonus episodes on Patreon, plus early ad-free episodes on Patreon. You know, it's the whole deal. Patreon.com slash old-timey podcast. Yay, yeah, there you go. Yada, yada, yada.

Blah, blah, blah, business. It's just how we make a living, whatever. Oh, very good, Kristen. Thank you for clearing that up. You're right. A lot of people probably were wondering, What's the deal with YouTube? You know what? I should have scammed my mom out of five bucks.

Yeah, we really should have. I should have told her, no shame. You're not going to believe what we're putting up on YouTube. Too hot for Patreon. Ew, okay. That's enough. Kristen, are you ready to hear about a hero at Pearl Harbor? I am. First, we have to talk about the news.

On August 20, 26, less than a month ago from the date of this recording, by the way, An exclusive CNN report stated U.S. Navy officials were considering renaming a planned aircraft carrier called the USS Doris Miller. Now, some people might hear that headline and think, Oh, what's the big deal? Who cares? Let me explain. The USS Doris Miller is named after a hero from World War II. On December 7, 1941, a day which will live in infamy, Japanese forces, attacked the U.S. Naval Station at Pearl Harbor. And during that chaotic scene,

a black sailor named Doris Miller, whose only job was to serve food, was able to shoot down a Japanese plane, and save an untold number of lives. Oh. So now you might be thinking, well, that guy sounds like a total badass. Why are they renaming a ship that was honoring him?

It's a great question. The CNN report stated that, were considering renaming the ship to the USS Donald Trump. Oh my God. No, God! No, God, please no! No! I should have known.

I was seriously sitting here like, well, what are they going to do? Come on now. Oh. So that news received some pretty swift backlash for multiple reasons. Number one, an aircraft carrier has not Never been named for a sitting president. Now, there are plenty of aircraft carriers named four presidents, but they usually get that honor after their term is over.

So, for example, there is the USS Gerald Ford, named after our 38th president, who also served in the Navy during World War II. And was a hot model. And was hot as hell. Let's talk about what really matters. He makes us all sweat. But a sitting president, that's a sitting president. that's unprecedented. Also unprecedented.

In Trump's defense, he's not going to leave, so. Oh, wow. You know something we don't? I think we all know it. Honestly, this is not surprising in a recent interview. Donald Trump admitted that he is building monuments to honor himself because, quote, nobody will do it once I'm gone. Oh. I'm just stating the facts, ma'am.

Number two, there is historical significance to naming the ship the USS Doris Miller. It would be the first aircraft carrier named after a black person. It would be the first aircraft carrier that honored an enlisted sailor rather than a president, a politician, or an admiral. And finally, number three, Doris Miller definitely deserves this honor. And now it could be possibly stripped away to honor a president who has never served in the military, who posts... He had bone spurs, Norman. God.

Yeah, I'll get to that. Hang on. Can I read my list, please? Never served in the military. Posts AI images of himself in military uniform. Dodged the draft during the Vietnam War by claiming he had bone spurs in his feet, or found a doctor who claimed that anyway.

And who has referred to fallen U.S. service members as, quote, losers and suckers. And God bless. United States. I could go on, but you know, Kristen, I don't want to get too political on this history podcast. So instead, I'd like to focus this episode on Doris Miller. Some of you may be familiar with Doris Miller, thanks to the classic 2001 film Pearl Harbor. I think World War II just started.

Oh, I never saw that. Boy, what a movie, Kristen. Okay. I could talk about Pearl Harbor for an entire episode of this podcast. It's a fascinating film. In that movie, Doris Miller is played by Cuba Gooding Jr. If you haven't seen that amazing film, perhaps you saw Doris Miller's face on a U.S. postage stamp one time. Or maybe there is a Doris Miller elementary school in your town.

Several schools across the country are named after him. But if you're still unfamiliar, I'll fill you in. In this episode of an old-timey podcast, I'll answer the following questions. Who was Doris Miller? What did he do at Pearl Harbor that put him in the national spotlight? And why did the U.S. Navy choose to name an aircraft carrier after him? And by the end of this episode, history hoes will be totally informed and can decide for themselves if renaming that aircraft carrier is a good idea or a bad idea.

Are you ready, Kristen? You seem a little biased against Donald Trump, so I don't know if I'm going to continue to listen. Here's what I'll say. I liked when you did video game history and not this stuff. Listen, even if Joe Biden was president and wanted to rename the USS Doris Miller, I would be fired up. If any president wanted to do this. This is not about a political party or anything like that. Yeah.

But it does kind of make it a little worse when it's Donald Trump just saying from his history. So, who was Doris Miller? He was born on October 12th, 1919 in Waco, Texas. Two parents, Connery and Henrietta Miller, the third of four strapping boys. Many folks were puzzled by the name Doris. Isn't that a girl's name? Okay, I was going to ask. Ah, here's the story.

So his mother, Henrietta, claimed that her midwife was absolutely 100% positive she was going to give birth to a girl. And so they chose the name Doris. And then the baby came out. And Henrietta was like, That's a penis. What is that from? How I met your mother. But the name Doris stuck.

Doris Miller had a tough childhood. Wait, that was his legal name? Doris Miller, yes. He did eventually go by the nickname Dory. But yeah, his name was Doris Miller. That is either really mean or really character. building, depending on whether you've heard that Johnny Cash song, a boy named Sue. Do you know that song? No, how does that go? Oh my gosh, Norman. Read a book. Okay. So Johnny Cash sings this song,

a boy named Sue. It's like his pa left when he was, he run off, you know, but before he left, he gave me this awful name. And basically, he was a boy named Sue and he got beat up all the time, but it did make him really tough. And so that was the gift that the father gave, he was like, I know I'm not going to be around to raise you. So I'll toughen you up by making you a boy named Sue. Wow. Inspiring. So he beats up his dad in the song. Doris Miller had a tough childhood, thanks to economic and environmental conditions. The Miller family was extremely poor. They were sharecroppers, crammed into a tiny three-bedroom shack. The parents slept in the living room, while Doris and his three brothers shared the one

bedroom. The town they lived in, Waco, Texas, was a place historians described as, quote, where the Old South meets the Wild West. The Millers had been in the area for a long time. Doris's grandparents had been born into slavery, but once they gained their freedom after the American Civil War, they now lived in the Jim Crow era, where segregation and discrimination were legal. KKK activity was rampant, and lynchings were all too common. In fact, In fact three years before Doris Miller was born, a black teenager named Jesse Washington was lynched in Waco, Texas, accused of murder. There was no trial. Washington was hung from a tree, mutilated, and burned to death as the mayor and chief of police watched on. All this to say, Doris Miller grew up in what some people might consider a hostile environment.

I think we'd all consider it. And I'm willing to bet you it was more than just those two fellas watching that lynching. Yeah, there were, I'm just saying, the significance of like, yeah, the mayor and the chief of police were watching, but yeah, town citizens were also watching. Perhaps that contributed to Doris Miller's demeanor. He was quiet, very shy. He kept to himself for the most part. His days consisted of working the farm, going to school, and attending church every Sunday. As Doris Miller grew up, he got big, really big. Six foot three, 225 pounds. Whoa! He was stacked like a tank, Kristen. His friend started calling him power. What a cool nickname. That is an amazing nickname.

Damn. If your friends give you that nickname, you are cool. That seems like the kind of nickname a person would be desperate for and would try to make for themselves. But you can never give yourself a nickname. One time I was at a convention and this guy came up to our table and he was like, hey yeah my name's Mike but my my friends call me magic Mike and I the immediately in my head I was like your friends don't call no one no one calls you magic Mike was it Channing Tatum it was not it was not Channing Tatum did you have a nickname growing up well first of all I think you

are failing to share the amazing joke that your friend made at that convention which was when that guy walked away he's That guy's more like Channing Taterton. First of all, Kristen, that was my joke. I will take full credit for it. Norm, you're a hilarious man. Yeah, my nickname was K.P. though, that was just my initials.

So that's not really like T-bone or power or, I don't know. Steakums. Hotest diva in town. You know, one of those cool snappy nicknames. The coolest chick in town. What about you? Did you have a nickname? Norm.

Oh. Short for Norman. Everyone just call me Norm. Yeah. That's a fascinating story. Fun, huh? Yeah. It is sweet when people ask me if they can call me Norm.

Yeah. Yeah, I really appreciate that when people do that. I'm like, of course. Does it feel like they're asking to be your friend, kind of, like, or be more familiar? No, I just think it's like, I don't know, a courtesy thing. Yeah. If you shorten somebody's name. so I just appreciate.

I really don't mind. You can call me Normy C, Normy Norme, Norme, whatever you want. Power. I'll take power too. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, Doris Miller's nickname in school was power. Thanks to his physical traits,

Doris became a star pitcher on the school baseball team and played fullback on the football team. But sadly, he had to drop out of school at the age of 17. He was not the best student. He had to repeat the eighth grade. And he missed a lot of days, because he was working the farm. For poor sharecroppers, earning money took priority over education.

In addition to farming, Doris Miller tried several jobs to help his family financially. He was a cook in a local restaurant. He tried to get into taxidermy. But ultimately, the opportunities for a young black man in Waco, Texas during the 1930s, were extremely limited. And so in September of 1939, at the age of 19, Doris Miller signed up for a six-year enlistment in the United States Navy. Doris Miller said, quote,

it beat sitting around Waco working as a busboy going nowhere. Fair enough. Doris Miller hoped for bigger and better opportunities serving in the United States Navy. Unfortunately, he wouldn't find them initially, because the Navy had a long history of taking one step forward and two steps back when it came to its racial policies. So now let's do a brief history of racism. Oh!

This is surprisingly upbeat for racism. We got to keep it light here on an old-timey podcast. During the American Revolution, it's estimated that one in five sailors in the U.S. Navy were black. Some were free, but others were enslaved, who served on ships in exchange for freedom. Black men served as pilots, gunners, cooks, powder boys, and more. And by powder boy, I don't mean, you know, like makeup, I mean gunpowder.

We all understood. We were turning up our noses at the word boy. That's the one. Oh, my bad. Yeah. Well, no, that's, you didn't make up the term. You don't have to take responsibility. And guess what happened, Kristen?

We won the war. We became the United States of America. USA, USA, where all men are created equal. Well, actually, the brand spank a new United States Navy put a cap on black sailors. Only 5% of the Navy could be black. Why? Because racism. Well, yeah.

Discrimination. Okay, okay. I thought you were going to say like a cap as in a salary cap, you know, all that stuff. I guess I didn't under, I don't understand why like 5% is the magical cut. off. Well, obviously, the whole thing is about racism and discrimination. Understood. Yeah. But one of the reasons was, oh, well, black sailors, they're not smart enough to, like, rise up in the Navy. We can only give them menial tasks. And the white sailors, they don't like having a lot of black sailors on the ship, and we need ship unity in order to

be efficient. Okay. Okay. It's about the teamwork. Yeah. Yeah, I got you. I got you. Well, guess what happened in 1812, Kristen? Another war? Another war broke out. Oops, we need more men. Hey, let's remove that cap of 5% and kind of up it a little bit, you know? But then that war ended in a stalemate. Okay, let's bring back the cap 5% again.

And then the American Civil War broke out. Okay, we need more men. Remove the cap. Do you notice a pattern here? I do. I'm excellent at pattern recognition, though. Very good. The pattern is you won't stop talking about wars.

But Kristen, the American Civil War was different than previous conflicts. What started as a war to keep the union together changed into a war to end slavery. And for black men, serving in the military, took on a special symbolic meaning. They were fighting for something, for progress, for freedom. Sadly, the United States Navy still enforced segregation. Officers felt that white sailors resented black sailors. And that was no good. The Navy needed ships to have unity so they can operate efficiently.

And so black sailors were given lower pay and menial work. They were not allowed to rise above a certain rank. And if you want a great example of this, Kristen, Robert Smalls. Oh, yeah. That discrimination in the United States Navy was the reason Robert Smalls piloted a boat as a civilian contractor and not an enlisted man. Previous topic? It's been 84 years.

Ooh, very good. It does feel that way. It feels like a long time since you told us about Robert Smalls being a hero and then getting fat shamed by the damn newspaper. Oh, man. Why is that like the biggest thing we remember from this series? It's just so out of place. It was wild.

And so totally unnecessary. It's like, yeah, yeah, we know he stole a confederate. but did you see what that newspaper reporter wrote about him? Call him like a planet in the solar system or something? Yes, that's an insane thing to say about somebody. Anyway, after the American Civil War, slavery was abolished. Black Americans hoped for equality for full citizenship rights. Instead, failed reconstruction brought about legalized segregation and discrimination.

Once again, the Navy instituted a cap on black enlistment. No black sailor could have. a leadership position. President William Howard Taft, who did not get stuck in a bathtub. Not even once. We're pretty sure. Previous topic. It's been 84 years.

Actually, more like two months ago. Yeah, yeah. Anyway, his secretary of war, a man named Henry Stimson, he said this. Quote, leadership is not embedded in the Negro race. Okay. Every time we try to lift them a little beyond where they can go, disaster and confusion follows. Oh, oh, I see. He's the victim because they're trying to give a helping hand, but it's just too bad that the black folks won't take it and just mess it all up. It's basically what he's saying, yeah.

Good grief. By the way, you know how I've talked before on this podcast that Henry Clay, that politician, how he, like, lived forever? Yes, we all remember. This Henry Stimson guy? Uh-huh. So he was the Secretary of War for William Howard Taft. and then he was the Secretary of War 30 years later for FDR.

I'm an old man. I mean, yeah, okay, that's, he stayed around a while. Yeah. I'm going to do a series on Americans that refused to die. But wouldn't it just be the smucker segment from the Today Show? Who hosted that? Willard Scott. We've had this discussion before.

Which is weird because it's already a strange conversation. Happy birthday. Henry Clay's 130 years old day. So as a result of these racist policies, you're not going to believe this, Kristen, but black enlistment in the U.S. Navy plummeted. What? Yeah, I don't know why. Okay, I do have a question. Okay.

So you're talking all about the Navy because you love bell bottoms. Were other branches any better? No, not really. Oh, okay. We're going to focus on the Navy today, though. Is that code for you don't actually know? No, I do. It wasn't any better in the Army either.

Okay. But then in 1917, the United States entered World War I, aka the Great War, aka the Great Snooze, according to a certain co-host of an old-timey podcast. And just like the American Civil War, World War I took on a greater meaning. It was a global war to defend democracy,

and black leaders saw, that as an opportunity for change. W. E.B. Du Bois wrote that German power, quote, spells death to the aspirations of the Negro in all the darker races for equality, freedom, and democracy. Let us not hesitate. Let us, while this war lasts, forget our special grievances, and close our ranks shoulder to shoulder with our white fellow citizens in the allied nations that are fighting for democracy. And so during World War I, more than 300,000 black Americans served in the U.S. military. They hoped their contributions would lead to freedom and equality at home. Sadly, it did not. Veterans returned home to continued segregation, a revitalized KKK, and a Woodrow Wilson

administration that did not give two shits about it. That guy sucked. Yeah, by the way, Woodrow Wilson, he's in my top 10 worst presidents, Kristen. Norm, we await the series. I would love just some epic shit talking. Future topic? I'm working on it. Okay, okay. Enlistment plummeted once again. In 1919, one year after the end of World War I, only 0.5% of enlisted sailors in the U.S. Navy were black. But then 20 years later, another war loom.

This German guy with a tiny penis named Adolf Hitler was making all sorts of wild accusations and demands over in Europe. And Japan seemed hell-bent on conquering all of Asia. Perhaps now, more than ever, the United States military would realize their racist policies were antiquated. It was time to finally assemble a fully integrated, united fighting force to take down fascism and nationalism around the world. Hell no To the no, no, no Let's just leave this Hitler fella alone for a while I'm sure he'll wear himself out

Who are you? Mrs. Lindberg? No, she didn't want to leave him alone. Didn't they just love him? Charles Lindberg? Yeah. I guess I don't really know the deal with that. I know he was like, what's...

I thought he was like... Norm. Eh, it's fine. We're... Nazis are fine. Charles Lindberg. thought they were more than fine. He thought they were fine. He was a eugenics boy. That's another future topic. Eugenics. All right. That's your topic. You'll take that one. I don't think the

eugenics folks would look kindly on us because of my neck pimple that I had last week. And now, folks, you're saying they'd take you out? Clearly. This lady's pimple. Speaking of pimples, I got a big one on my forehead. I'm bringing it up as karma. Anyone who listened to the last episode knows that you took a photo, a selfie of yourself. I'm here too. Smiling with my neck pimple.

And now a week later, it's called Karma, Baby, and it comes around all over your face. It really has, yeah. I got two pimples on my face, which I haven't had since I was a teenager. I know. You never have acne. I was blessed. My brother and sister were pizza faces. That's lovely.

They looked like the moon sometimes. You're such a jerk. No, they got the proactive solution. Really helped them. I wanted that so bad, but it was $49.99 plus shipping and handling. Did your father say that's way too expensive? My father would have never. I remember him telling me that he learned from a friend when he was in high school

that all you should do is splash cold water on your face and that's all you need. That's it. Brilliant. My father, by the way, had acne. That's right. Yeah, the United States military is not going to fully integrate to defeat fascism. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox believed, quote, enlistment of Negroes leads to disruptive and undermining conditions on a ship.

In his mind, the ideal role for a black sailor was servitude, cooking, cleaning, laundry. In fact, black sailors were not authorized to handle lethal weapons of any kind. Isn't this so interesting that no one was embarrassed at all to basically be like, the reason is the white guys will have poopy butts about this. There'll be poopy butt boys and we can't handle that. Yeah, poopy booty attitudis is what we call it. That's what we call it on this podcast.

Right. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt went along with it, partly because he was racist himself, partly to appease a Congress filled with Southern Democrats who were a-okay with it all, and that is the situation Doris Miller found himself in in September of 1939. When he joined the U.S. Navy, Doris went through basic training in Norfolk, Virginia, in a segregated unit. Along with the standard basic training, Miller and other black sailors were taught How to cook, how to do laundry, how to shine shoes, how to make beds, how to wait on people, and more. This was menial work.

But Doris Miller found a unique way to rebel. Here's a fun story, Kristen. Okay. So one of Doris Miller's duties was to wake up junior officers in the morning. And at first he would just shake them awake. But one time, a commanding officer pulled Miller aside and was like, hey, enlisted men are not allowed to touch officers. So instead, Doris Miller would get right next to a sleeping officer's ear, and he would just shout, Hey!

That had to be so much fun. Yeah. You know he was loud as hell to that guy. Oh, yeah. Apparently he got a kick out of that. Yeah. It's even better if you say like, good morning! You know, something that, like, nobody can be mad.

Yeah, I mean, he's following the rules of the Navy. I just wanted to wish you a good morning at top volume, right against your ear holes. Can't touch you. I'd love to, though. I sure would like to. Doris Miller had other tasks, too. Like all sailors in the United States Navy, Miller had an assigned role at a battle station when the alarms went off. But again, black sailors were not allowed to handle weapons.

So instead, Doris Miller was instructed how to bring up ammunition to the gunners. In January of 1940, after completing basic training, Doris Miller was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia. West Virginia, Mountain something. What are you singing? Country roads take me home. Oh, that did not sound anything like that. Country Road, take me home. West Virginia.

We were all mad at you for that rendition. Oh, it's Blue Ridge Mountains. West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains. Why are you singing it kind of like Kermit the Frog? Country roads, take me home. As what John Denver sounds like. I mean, I agree he's not the best singer, but I mean, he's better than that. Yeah, that's true.

Sailors described Doris Miller as, quote, A big guy, but tender as a deer. Miller was a mess attendant. His main job was to serve food and bus tables. But for extra money, he shined shoes, he made beds, and he did laundry for officers. In his free time, Doris Miller took advantage of his size and competed in boxing matches. He became the USS West Virginia's heavyweight champion. Doris Miller got in plenty of sightseeing, too.

The USS West Virginia traveled the world. Cuba, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, the Philippines, and more. Dang. Sadly, racism wasn't exclusively a United States problem. In Australia, Doris Miller was not allowed. allowed shore leave thanks to the country's white Australia immigration policy. Wow. I did not know about that.

I didn't write this part down, but I saw it in my research. So white Australia was a law that came around in like 1901, and it was to keep Australia white, basically. Keep it white. Or whatever. Okay. Okay. They only wanted white folks to come to Australia, basically.

Gotcha. No new friends. And so if a foreign person showed up, immigration officials would apparently give them the, like, immigration test purposefully in a language they did not understand to get them to fail and be like, well, you failed the test. You have to go back to your country. Unless the foreign person was white. Right. If they were white, then you got a. Then they were all right.

And then everybody winked. Right. Future topic? Well, eh, sounds like a downer. When the USS West Virginia wasn't at sea, its main home was the U.S. Naval Station located at Pearl Harbor, strategically located in Hawaii in case of a Japanese attack. Japan's aggression in 1941 put the U.S. Navy on high alert. War seemed imminent.

And then on December 7, 1941, it happened. That morning at around 7.48 a.m., Japanese bombers attacked the U.S. Naval Station at Pearl Harbor. Many men had no idea they were under attack. They thought it was just the Navy doing drills. The Japanese had taken the U.S. completely by surprise. Their main target was an area known as Battleship Row, a fleet of ships anchored in the harbor. And one of those ships was the USS West Virginia. Doris Miller had been awake since 6 a.m. that morning, doing laundry. He was looking forward to having the rest of the day off. But the Japanese surprise attack changed his plans. Nine Japanese torpedoes and three bombs struck the USS West Virginia. The ship's steering was disabled. Its armor destroyed. Lower compartments of the ship

flooded. Fire raged everywhere from oil and gas leaks. And soon the ship's alarm went off. General quarters, general quarters, all hands made. your battle stations. Doris Miller quickly ran to his assigned battle station, an anti-aircraft gun. But the gun had been destroyed. Not missing a beat, Doris Miller ran to an area of the ship known as Times Square. This was a central location where men could gather to make themselves available wherever they were needed. And in the chaos, an officer spotted the physically imposing Doris Miller and shouted, hey, come with me to the bridge. We've got to help the captain.

He's injured. When they arrived at the bridge, they found Captain Mervin Sharp Benyon propped up, barking out orders to defend the ship, trying to hold his guts from spilling out. Oh, my God. A piece of shrapnel had torn through his abdomen. Doris Miller and a few other men

were able to get Captain Benyon to a more secure area. After that, an officer named Lieutenant White noticed two anti-aircraft guns nearby. unmanned. He ordered Doris Miller to bring him up ammunition so he could fire on the Japanese planes. Doris Miller quickly retrieved more ammo as Lieutenant White fired the gun. Moments later, amongst the chaos, Lieutenant White looked over and there on the second anti-aircraft gun was Doris Miller, firing at the Japanese planes. Oh yeah. That's the gun. Okay. For those wondering why that sounded like a chicken. We hear at an old-timey podcast, value your feedback. One time on an episode,

we played an actual gun sound, and it startled our history hosts. So now that is the sound for guns on an old-timey podcast. No one wants to startle a ho. So Lieutenant White sees Doris Miller firing this gun, and he is totally shocked by this. Doris Miller was not trained to use this weapon. According to Navy policy, he was forbidden to use this weapon. But Doris Miller, did what he thought was right in that moment. He forgot all about the fact that he was just a mess attendant. He remembered what Captain Bennion had ordered as he lay dying on the bridge. Defend the ship.

Defend the ship. Doris Miller later stated that firing the gun seemed natural to him. He said he used to go squirrel hunting back in Waco, Texas. It wasn't hard, he said. I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine. I had watched the others with these guns. I guess I fired her for about 15 minutes. I think I got one of the Japanese planes.

They were diving pretty close to us. One witness stated Miller was, quote, blazing away as though he had fired one all of his life. After about 15 minutes and surrounded by fire, Doris Miller and Lieutenant White ran out of ammo. They decided to go back to the bridge, which was also engulfed in flames. Captain Benyon laid nearby, clinging to life.

Doris Miller and some other men grabbed a fire hose, trying to fend off the flames. But they were too late. Soon after, Captain Benyon succumbed to his wounds. Surrounded by flames, Doris Miller and the others were able to get down to the ship's deck using a rope line in a crane. And once down, Lieutenant White and Doris Miller helped pull sailors from the water. After action reports stated that Doris Miller was, quote, unquestionably saving the lives of a number of people who might otherwise have been lost. Eventually, the flooding below deck became too much. The USS West Virginia was sinking into the harbor.

Everyone was ordered to abandon ship. Sailors ran and jumped overboard, swimming to shore. But Doris Miller stayed. He waited, ensuring others got off the ship safely first. He was one of the last three men to leave the USS West Virginia. When he arrived on shore, Miller could only sit and stare as the ship sank. He had never been so afraid in all of his life. It seemed like a dream that was not real, he said.

That day, 2,335 Americans lost their lives at Pearl Harbor. Out of the 1,541 men on board the USS West Virginia, 130 died, and 52 were wounded. It could have been much worse. it weren't for men like Doris Miller. Do you know much about Pearl Harbor? No, not really. So I didn't write this part down, but I do want to share it. 2,335 Americans lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.

About half of those men died on a ship called the USS Arizona, and that was horrific because that ship, it sank, and most of the men were just trapped inside of the ship. Oh. And they basically just drowned. I mean, they were entombed in that ship. Did it just go down so quickly that they couldn't? It went down quick. And it was a huge ship.

Uh-huh. And it kind of like flipped over. And so there were men stuck in the hull of the ship. And rescuer said they could hear them screaming. Oh, my God. Get us out. Get us out. But they couldn't get them out. I mean.

That's awful. Yeah. It is horrific. Today it's basically like a, it's like a tomb. Their bodies are still there. In the following days, the surviving officers of the USS West Virginia wrote up their after-action reports, and in every single one, they mentioned Doris Miller, a black mess attendant who helped carry Captain Bennion to safety, who manned an anti-aircraft gun and shot down an enemy plane, who rescued his fellow sailors from the burning water.

For his actions at Pearl Harbor, Doris Miller was officially recommended for, for a commendation. But the keyword there, Kristen, is recommended. When Navy officials published reports of the heroes at Pearl Harbor, Doris Miller's name and the details of his story were missing. He was simply identified as, quote, an unknown Negro sailor. Good grief.

It seemed like the Navy wanted the story of Doris Miller's bravery to die, but it didn't. Rumors swirled. Who was this unknown Negro sailor? sailor. The details of his heroism grew in the papers. I heard he shot down six Japanese planes. I heard he was on the deck of the ship yelling out orders to everybody. Incredibly, Doris's mother, Henrietta, knew right away that it was her son. That's got to be Doris they talking about, she said. Eventually, everyone would learn the truth. A black newspaper called the Pittsburgh Courier did some

investigative journalism. And on March 11th, 1942, three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, they revealed the name that unknown Negro sailor was 22-year-old Doris Miller. That's incredible. What are you feeling? Oh, it's my newspaper pride. I think, I mean, this is why it's so important for every community to have their own newspaper. Yeah. Or their own, their own voice, so to speak. I think there'd be a good future topic for you, the Pittsburgh Courier. Very influential black newspaper. Okay.

Yeah. Future topic? I like that the button malfunctioned. You got a little stuck there. So this was an inspiring story. For all Americans, but especially black Americans, Doris Miller had shattered racial stereotypes and went above and beyond the call of duty during one of the nation's most tragic events.

Right away, several bills from progressive politicians were introduced into Congress to award Doris Miller the military's highest honor, the Medal of Honor. Kristen, what do you think the Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, thought about that? Do we have the hell no button? Which no do you want? I was thinking, hell no, hell no. There you go. That's the one I chose to. Yep.

In a letter, Knox claimed that Doris Miller's actions were, quote, not deserving of the nation's highest award for valor. Wow. According to Knox, Doris Miller was simply doing what he was trained to do. No. It's not a big deal, people. Can we all please just move on and focus on the brave white sailors at Pearl Harbor? That's how a white man plays guitar.

Damn. Yeah. Frank Knox was a douche canoe, by the way. Thanks for clarify. Thanks you're wondering. Really unsure. He sucked. For their actions at Pearl Harbor,

15 men were awarded the Medal of Honor. Nine of them posthumously. Doris Miller was not among them. Now, I'm not going to sit here and argue who deserves the Medal of Honor and who doesn't deserve the Medal of Honor. In my opinion, all of those men deserved the Medal. but when you look at what those men did that day

and then you look at what Doris Miller did that day, I don't think there's any question that he should have received the Medal of Honor or at the very least been considered for the Medal of Honor. Right. According to the National Medal of Honor Museum, candidates must, quote, risk their lives above and beyond the call of duty,

displaying conspicuous gallantry during combat against an enemy, opposing foreign forces, or while serving with friendly foreign forces in conflict. According to the Navy, Doris Miller's duty was to serve food and bus tables. Did he not go above and beyond the call of duty when he helped carry his captain to safety? When he fired that anti-aircraft gun on Japanese planes, despite zero training and strict rules on black sailors using lethal weapons? and he shot down a plane? How about when he tried to put out fires on the ship?

Or when he rescued sailors from the water? Needless to say, black leaders were absolutely furious. This was yet another example of the United States calling on black men to fight and risk their lives for their country while continuing to discriminate against them. When it came to serving their country, the black community was now split more than ever. There were, of course, the usual takes of,

well, serving your country as a way to unite us all and make progress. But a growing number of black Americans were now urging caution. They were like, no, not again. We got screwed after the Civil War. We got screwed after World War I. It's going to happen again with this war. An NAACP official remarked, quote, At least blacks could not be made scapegoats for the country's naval fiasco.

The naval department had seen to it, that no blacks hold positions of responsibility anywhere. A black reporter wrote that the Navy's discriminatory policies, quote, must be comforting to Hitler, Mussolini, and the Japanese. But after the Doris Miller story, opinions shifted. Doris Miller was a hero, one of the first heroes of World War II, for the Americans anyway. He was black.

He was an inspiration. and everyone could agree that man deserved some sort of recognition. Yeah. There were multiple write-in campaigns to Navy officials to give Doris a medal or make him an officer in the Navy. Posters of Doris Miller were sold door-to-door. CBS aired a dramatic retelling of Miller's deeds on the radio. His mother, Henrietta Miller, received dozens of letters from politicians voicing their support and promising to fight for her. her son. The Pittsburgh Courier newspaper also launched the double V campaign, victory over fascism

abroad and victory over racism at home. They wrote, quote, should black people sacrifice their lives to live half American? It was a national rallying cry that black Americans could get behind, demanding change at home while also supporting the war. And all of this public pressure worked. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, who we all agree is a douche canoe, he finally relented. In April of 1942, he finally awarded Doris Miller a letter of commendation. That's it. It thanked Miller for, quote, his distinguished devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and disregard of his personal safety during the attack on the fleet in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. accept this gold star.

I mean, that's kind of what it feels like. Yeah, it's literally the least he can do. It is. So that when people complain, he can say oh no, what have you heard? I actually already did that. I wrote that letter of commendation. I agree with you, actually, and

that's why I took the time to write the most beautiful letter I've ever written, really. I was up for two hours writing that letter. So yeah, that was it. No medal. No ceremony, no promotion. They had him back cooking and all that after that?

We'll get to that in a second. Okay. I'll tell you what Doris Miller was up to in the meantime. Okay. Eventually, the United States Attorney General, Francis Biddle, stepped in. On May 1, 1942, he wrote a letter to FDR, stating, quote, It would be a splendid thing to have the Navy decorate Doris Miller. Francis Biddle was a cool guy, by the way.

Really? Very progressive for his time. Future topic. Well, you're going to tell us some more? From what I read, he was very opposed to the Japanese internment camps and tried to dissuade FDR from doing that. Oh, shit. Yeah. Yeah.

And then he did this. He recommended FDR, give Doris Miller something. Yeah. Francis Biddle recognized not only the political impact of such an act, but the morale boost it would give to black men and women in uniform. President Roosevelt agreed. He forwarded the letter to Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox with a note. And it read, quote, will you speak to me about this?

Ouch. See me in my office. And Frank Knox was like, I hate how short that sound bite is. Why? Somehow it makes it more disturbing than it's just, Daddy, please don't. Yeah, that's why. why it's perfect for this scenario. On May 11, 1942, President Roosevelt approved awarding Doris Miller

the Navy Cross. At the time, that was the third highest award in the Navy for gallantry during combat. Today, it's considered the second highest award. Doris Miller was the first black sailor to receive the Navy Cross. Hearing that news must have been quite a shock to Doris Miller. while folks back home argued about giving him recognition, Doris Miller was continuing to serve. He was on board the USS Indianapolis, deployed in the South Pacific. Although he was still a mess attendant, his reputation among other sailors had grown significantly.

But everyone said that Doris Miller remained extremely humble and never bragged about what he did at Pearl Harbor. But now he would finally get some recognition. On May 27, 1942, while the USS Indianapolis resupplied in Hawaii, the Navy held a ceremony awarding Doris Miller the Navy Cross. It was presented by the commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz. Admiral Nimitz had previously supported a segregated Navy. You know, for the good of the ship and all that bullshit.

But he sang a different tune that day. Quote, this marks the first time in this conflict that such a war. 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. I have cynical thoughts. Let's hear it. Okay, what year are we at now? 1942.

They need more people to enlist. Oh yeah, we'll get to that. Okay. I was afraid you hadn't come to that same cynical conclusion, and you were just cheering on with a big... And that's the story of Doris Miller. Because that's all this is, to... to me.

Two things can be true. I think there was enough public outcry and wanting to recognize what he did at Pearl Harbor to give him a medal, a commendation. But I also definitely, well, we know the Navy saw him as a recruitment tool. And they used him as a recruitment tool. Yes. I don't think they gave a shit about public outcry. I mean, it worked. You and I disagree about what worked.

Okay. think that what worked was they needed more people to enlist. Yeah, they absolutely wanted more people to enlist in the Navy. And, yeah, this was this was a way to get people fired up and excited and, oh, look at the opportunities I might be able to have. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

I do think there were plenty of higher-ups that wanted to award Doris Miller that commendation as well. Okay. I think it's both. Okay. So Doris Miller, receiving the Navy Cross, was like the first domino to fall in the road to desegregation in the military. In the summer of 1942, the Navy officially opened up General Service to Black recruits. So that meant that Black sailors could be more than just mess attendance.

They could be radio men, gunners, quartermasters, and more. The first 1,000 black recruits for General Service reported to Camp Robert Smalls, at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois. Although black sailors could now be more than just mess attendance, segregation remained, and opportunities still remained limited. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox had allegedly threatened to resign if the Navy was fully integrated.

What a fucking baby. For real. I should have had a baby crying sound on here. By 1943, the Navy only had 20, 6,000 black sailors. That's about 2% of the total naval fighting force. Two-thirds of those black sailors were mess attendants. The others worked in construction or supplies. And the Navy seemed to recognize that they had a black recruitment problem. And so they turned to Doris Miller for help. They began using recruitment posters featuring Doris Miller and his Navy Cross, with big, bold

letters that read, above and beyond the call of duty. And then Doris Miller received new orders. He would be going on a tour across the United States to sell war bonds and help recruit sailors in the black community. That made him the first black soldier or sailor to go on a war bonds tour. Doris Miller was thrilled. By then, he had been at sea for over a year. He wrote, it would be a great pleasure to get back for only a few days. In a few days turned into six months. Doris Miller traveled all over the United States. He went to Oakland, Dallas, Atlantic City.

He had become a celebrity for black Americans. He was in the same realm as singer Lena Horn or heavyweight champion Joe Lewis. Thousands of people came out to see their hero, looking distinguished in his Navy uniform, Navy Cross, and Red Stripe indicating three years of service. People bought Dory Bonds to support the war effort. In January of 1943, Doris Miller spoke to the graduating class of black sailors at Camp Robert Smalls. It is almost unbelievable what the perfect coordination and strength of our Navy actually is, he said.

I'm sure you'll accomplish something later on for which you will all be proud the rest of your lives. So this is no doubt part of his mission to boost me. morale and get people to get excited about the Navy. But still, you know, Doris Miller was a very effective speaker, you know, a bond salesman, like he was a very good recruiter for the Navy. Yeah. A newspaper said Miller was, quote, a young man of fine qualities. He possesses commendable poise, a winning presence, and unaffected modesty. His clear magnetic eyes reveal intelligence, sincerity, purpose, courage, and calmness. I do love it when newspapers used to do that.

They'd list all the qualities they could see in a person's eyes, and sometimes they were nasty. He's smart, sexy, dangerous. But there was also a profound sadness there, too. Doris Miller never talked about his wartime experiences. His father said it, quote, made him think of his dead buddies. Miller had no doubt seen some horrible things, not only at Pearl Harbor, but while serving in the Pacific. And not just in combat.

Doris Miller confided to his family that on board the ship, other sailors hated him. They were jealous of his commendations. If the Japanese don't get me, some jealous shipmate will, he told his brother. Yeah. My life is a holy hell. The white folks never did like me because I'm colored. Now the colored guys aboard the ship do not like me because they say that I think I'm somebody special. Close friends later said that Miller was dreading, returning to duty.

But in June of 1943, when Doris Miller got new orders, he did not hesitate. He answered the call, and he went back to serve. Doris Miller was assigned to a new aircraft carrier. The USS Liskam Bay. Part of the Navy's new fleet of mass-produced ships. sailors noted a dip in quality with these carriers. They joked that their code name, which was CVE, stood for combustible, vulnerable, and expendable. Oof. Yeah. Doris Miller served as a cook for the officers on board the USS Liskam Bay.

People were surprised that Miller was still working that kind of job, but he was fine with it. Miller said he had plans to start a nightclub after the war, and this was good experience for that. The USS Liskam Bay was part of a larger task force, island hopping around the Pacific and driving the Japanese army back. On November 20, 1943, the USS Liskam Bay assisted with the marine landings at Tarawa and Macon-Aul, which resulted in U.S. victories. But four days later, on November 24, 1943, the Japanese struck back. early that morning a Japanese submarine torpedoed the starboard side of the USS Luscombe. Alarm sounded. Doris Miller did his duty.

He quickly made his way toward his battle station. But before he could get there, 200,000 pounds of bombs stored inside the interior of the ship exploded, along with 120,000 gallons of oil. Fragments of ship flew a thousand feet into the air. In just 23 minutes, the USS Liskam Bay sank into the Pacific Ocean. From a crew of 900, only 272 men survived. Doris Miller, 24 years old, was never found, and the Navy listed him as presumed dead. His parents, Connery and Henrietta Miller, were notified on December 7, 1943, literally two years after Pearl Harbor.

Doris Miller's death made national news. Tributes poured in from around the country. The Pittsburgh courier wrote that Miller had, quote, died for his country so that his people might rise another notch in dignity and courage. His father, Connery, felt differently, though. Nothing can lessen the pain of losing Doris, he said. Before he died, Doris Miller had predicted that full equality for black Americans would not come quickly. He said, quote, I believe that young Negroes will struggle for their full rights when this war is over. I know I will. Sadly, Doris Miller was right. But thanks to his courage, his inspiration, and the tireless work of many Americans, there was progress. In January of 1944, the Navy selected 16 black sailors to go through an accelerated officer training program.

Navy officials predicted that only 25% would graduate. Instead, 81% graduated. They are forever known as the Golden 13. In 1948, after the end of World War II, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which officially ended segregation and discrimination in the military. However, fully implementing that executive order took decades, thanks to old, crusty military officers who found creative ways to get around it. Discrimination in the military hung around one way or another well into the 1970s.

You don't think it's still around a little bit today. Nope, it's gone, Kristen. Okay, I was going to say, I'm glad we got rid of that in the 70s. Don't ask, don't tell about any more details. And then, of course, the biggest change had to be the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which officially outlawed discrimination and segregation in the United States based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Ever since his death, the Miller family has advocated for further recognition for Doris.

He was bigger than his actions at Pearl Harbor. He was an inspiration to all Americans, and he helped push the change to end segregation in the United States military. And so the Miller family was thrilled when, in 1973, the United States Navy named a new anti-submarine escort ship, the USS Miller. At the commissioning ceremony, Doris' mother, Henrietta, christened the new ship. But sadly, that honor didn't last. The USS Miller was decommissioned in 1991 and sold to the Turkish Navy who used it for target practice.

But the Miller family persisted. They wanted more. They wanted something that would last, you know. And for them, that was the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military achievement. During World War II, 432 men were awarded the Medal of Honor. None of them were black. In 1997, President Bill Clinton tried to write those wrongs by awarding seven black World War II veterans the Medal of Honor.

But Doris Miller was not one of them. When Hawaiian Senator Daniel Inouet, himself a Medal of Honor recipient, inquired with the Navy about Doris Miller receiving the award, they replied that the Navy Cross, quote, appropriately recognizes petty officer Miller's heroic actions. Personally, I think they're missing an important element of Doris Miller's story, and that is race. Former Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson said it best with, quote,

it is impossible to entirely extract race from consideration of Miller's case. His performance was so extraordinarily above and beyond the call of duty, in part because that call was so colored by his race. Yeah. Finally, in 2020, during the first Trump administration, the Miller family was thrilled to learn that an upcoming aircraft carrier, the biggest damn ship that the Navy builds, would officially be named the USS Doris Miller. Acting Secretary of the Navy, Thomas Modley, said, he has a very same.

consulted with retired black admirals on a name, and they all recommended Doris Miller, one of their inspirations. Modley told CNN, quote, Ultimately, these names are meant to be symbolic and unifying for the Navy, and the nation it serves. When they are named for people like Doris Miller, they raise broader awareness of the heroism, patriotism, and sacrifices of all American sailors, not merely their commanders. I think that's really cool. What a great gesture. Yeah.

What a great way to honor Doris Miller. And not just Doris Miller, like, all the sailors of the Navy, because he's right. The lowest guy on the totem pole in the Navy is still contributing to the war effort. You know what I mean? Yeah. The official ceremony took place on January 20th, 2020 at Pearl Harbor, Martin Luther King Day. Doris Miller's nieces, Florida Miller and Brenda Haven, were there to accept. the honor. It's a great honor because it's been a long, hard road, they said. That must have been a

great feeling for the Miller family. Having an aircraft carrier named after you is a huge deal. So the USS Doris Miller would join the ranks of the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS George Washington, the USS Ronald Reagan, the USS Harry S. Truman, the USS George H.W. Bush, the USS Gerald Ford, the USS Nimitz, the USS Carl Vinson, the USS John Stennis. Okay, I'll admit, once you stopped naming presidents, I fell off. And I probably should have stopped after the president. You absolutely should have. Are we supposed to know those guys? John Stennis was a long time politician from, I think, Mississippi.

Carl Vinson transformed the Navy during the 20th century. Nimitz was the commander of the Pacific. fleet during World War II, and everyone else was president. So there you go. The more you know. And here's the other thing, Kristen, aircraft carriers, they usually stay in service for like 50 years. So that's a long legacy, you know. But now that honor is in jeopardy. Donald Trump was re-elected in 2024. And with him came defense secretary or sorry, war secretary, Pete Hegseth. and Hegeseth undertook an anti-DEI purge across the department. Historical articles on Navajo Code Talkers, Tuskegee Airmen, and women air service pilots disappeared overnight.

Thankfully, public outcry brought them back. And this is what we like to call erasure. And us historians don't like it. It's very bad. And then there's the Navy Oilership, the USNS-Harvey Milk, named after gay rights activist and Navy veteran Harvey Milk. In June of 2025, Heg Seth announced they were changing the name of that ship to the USS Oscar V. Peterson, who was a Medal of Honor recipient during World War II.

And he was straight as an arrow. That's how the white man plays his guitar. In early 2026, sources said the Navy was looking to update guidance on how future Navy's ships should be named. and who they are named after. And so it should come as no surprise at all that in August of 2026 that CNN report came out, saying that the Navy was considering renaming the USS Doris Miller. Renaming a ship after it has been commissioned would be highly unusual.

But then again, a lot of things this administration has done have been highly unusual. Apparently, in exchange for stripping Doris Miller's name from the aircraft carrier, the Navy would name a different ship after Doris Miller and also recommend him for the Congressional Medal of Honor. Thomas Bledsoe, Doris Miller's great nephew, said that obviously receiving the Medal of Honor would be a huge deal. It's something the Miller family had been wanting for years.

Sure. But Bledsoe also urged the Navy to reconsider renaming the aircraft carrier. I'm going to read what he said. Doris Miller stands for so much about America and who we are today. Take a moment and realize the significance of what the name is and the significance of what it truly inspires and impacts this nation today. I would really want someone to take the time and realize the true impact of changing the name

and what it would do to society and also young girls and young boys that look up to Doris Miller and who they want to aspire to be one day and going above and beyond. Will the Navy rename that ship? That remains to be seen. The Department of Defense, sorry, the Department of War, has said they had nothing to announce at this time. But we will soon find out because the Kiel Lane ceremony is set to begin at the end of 2026, and you've got to have a name picked out by then.

I want to end this episode with this, Kristen. when we memorialize somebody or something as a country, like with a statue or with a name, we're telling the rest of the world, this is who we are as a society. This is what we believe in, and this is what we want our future to look like. And to me, Doris Miller deserves to be memorialized. He is the definition of an American hero. He came from nothing. He battled adversity.

He rose to the occasion. And he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. And with that, here is Normie C's spicy take of the week. I don't use the word hero very often, but you are the greatest hero in American history. I think they should keep the name USS Doris Miller. Who could have predicted this opinion? And that's the story of a hero. row at Pearl Harbor.

Could we talk a little bit more about him saying he was fine continuing to work in the kitchen? Sure. What do you make of that? From what I read, it seemed like when he was traveling the United States, he got to see a lot, he got to do a lot. Yeah. And he went out a lot. He enjoyed himself. Well, as you should.

My God. And so found this, this joy and passion in like, oh, one day I want to run my own club. Yeah. Like a nightclub. Yeah. And obviously he was still serving. And so he had this dream of like, hey, when this war is over, when my enlistman is up, I'm going to open a club. Or I think at one time he even said maybe I'll try boxing as a career.

Yeah. Oh, and he could have had a great career with that because he already had a famous name and, you know. Yeah. maybe it was the Pittsburgh Courier that interviewed him, and they asked about, you know, what he was going to do on the new ship. And he was like, yeah, I'm a cook, which was a promotion, by the way. He was a, I think it was called Petty Officer Cook third class, which was a step up from mess attendant. Right. So he got a promotion, you got a pay raise. And so, but he just said, yeah, I'm fine with it because, like, you know, I want to, I want to open a nightclub when this war is over. And, like, what I'm doing is good experience for. running a club. What do you make of it? I mean, my initial thought was, you know, when you said the thing about how he said that it was really hard, after he'd done this huge heroic deed that everyone was talking about,

then there was all this animosity toward him. And, you know, you think about all the decades of discrimination that were basically like white men will be uncomfortable if you are too good at your job. white men will be uncomfortable if you shine too brightly, essentially. Right. And so, you know, hearing, oh, and he said, this is great that I'm doing this because of X, Y, and Z, I don't doubt that he wanted to open a club and, you know, be a business person. But I also think that would have been so dangerous for him to publicly say, I can't believe

I'm still at this level. It would have been extremely dangerous to not be extraordinarily modest at all times. Sure. I think it was also at that time there was only so high a sailor like Doris Miller could go. Sure. And yeah, he's kind of a poster boy for the Navy when he's talking to the newspaper. So, yeah, of course he's not going to say I'm not happy with my rank and what I'm doing. So I'm sure that's an element as well.

All right. It broke my heart when I read how he felt like everybody hated him on the ship. Yeah. You know, the white sailors and the black sailors. And I know he was a very quiet, shy guy. Mm-hmm. And so I think about maybe just being a cook and keeping to himself was like his way of getting through that, you know? Maybe I also think when you're quiet and shy and you haven't accomplished some big thing yet, then people are cool with you.

But if you accomplish this big thing and you go back to being who you are, which is quiet and shy, then it looks snobby. You know, it's the same behavior, but people can take it a different way. Right. Well, let's hear your spicy take, Kristen. Should they rename this aircraft carrier? No, they shouldn't. It's douchebags. You know what we should do?

What? Watch Pearl Harbor. Yeah, so I was going to suggest that. If we watched Pearl Harbor together and did a reaction, I think that would be pretty funny. I'm going to hate that movie so much. And it's probably like three hours. It's, yeah, it's pretty long. Jesus.

It's pretty long, and it... It's... Is it cheesy? Oh, my God, is it cheesy? When did it come out? Like, 90s, right? 2001. Oh, okay.

That was a year for some cheesy stuff. It's directed by Michael Bay, who did all the Transformers movies. Sure. And it really doesn't know what movie it wants to be. It's more like a love story with Pearl Harbor in the background, as people are making out. It's kind of what the movie is.

See, I'm going to hate this movie for the same reason that I hate buffets. You can't do all of this shit well. Just pick a few things and do that. Oh, Norman. I can't wait to show you the Doris Miller scenes. What do you mean? Oh, they're just so over-the-top cheesy and melodramatic. Okay.

I mean, he did shoot down a plane. He did. So it's funny. I read a somewhat academic book on Doris Miller. And they dedicated quite a bit to, did he actually shoot down a plane? Okay. So the official Navy reports are, yes, he's credited with shooting down one plane. Right.

And, you know, later on, newspapers were like, I already shot down six planes or whatever. I think Doris even said one time he shot down like four planes. Sure. But, yeah, I guess some eggheads have been like, well, actually, we analyzed the bullet. from this plane and it was the only plane in the area. And based on that data, more than likely Doris Miller did not shoot down any planes at Pearl Harbor. But I went by what the official Navy report has. So he's credited with one plane.

If you're going to be an egghead, why not do some research into something else? Thinking they're wasting their time on this? Well, it just seems like, oh, here's this guy who did this incredibly brave thing. We're all wanting to celebrate him. Actually, here's why he's not as cool as you think he is. No, research something else. Research why those, do you remember luncheables when they did the nachos and they had the cold cheese, but it still tasted amazing?

They should research that. How was that still a good thing for us? How did we still love it? We don't know. You want them to research that instead of, did Doris Miller shoot down a plane? Literally anything would be better. Well, I was not privileged enough to have luncheables growing up. Hey, I didn't have them often because they were expensive.

Yeah, that's why my mom wouldn't buy them. Yeah. We should get into the slop, huh? I feel like we're getting sloppy right now. We probably should get into the slop. Okay, folks, in case you don't know, you're on our Patreon at the pig butter investor level. That's where all the cool kids are. you get a special segment of each episode called The Slop.

And what are we going to talk about today? It sounds like maybe some luncheables, maybe some this, maybe some that. But here we go. Are you inspired to talk about anything specifically? I thought we were going to do the Disney Adult Quiz. Oh, my God. We've been teasing giving each other a Disney Adult Quiz. That's what we're going to do today.

Okay. The hose have been waiting. I think it'll be boring to give you a Disney Adult Quiz because you're obviously going to pass with flying colors. I'm going to give you the Disney adult quiz. Okay, bring it on. All right, here we go. All right, well, folks, we're back.

And I took a quiz to determine whether or not I am a Disney adult. And we shan't reveal the results here. We mustn't. We can't. No. We won't. No matter how much you beg. And Norm, a lovely episode.

Thank you very much. Hope you all learned something about Doris Miller. And now we're all more well. informed about what's going on in the news, huh? Agreed. You know what they say about history, hoes? We always cite our sources. That's right. For this episode, I got my information from the CNN article.

Navy Way's renaming carrier slated to honor Black War hero, potentially switching it to Trump. And the book. Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor, and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement. By Thomas W. Kutreer and T. Michael Parrish. Plus more. Check the show notes for more information. That's all for this episode. Thank you for listening to an old-timey podcast. Please give us a five-star review wherever you listen to podcasts, and while you're at it, subscribe.

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com slash old-timey podcast. Join the Reddit community, R-slash old-timey podcast. Follow us on Facebook and YouTube and Instagram at Old-Timey Podcast. You can also follow us individually on Instagram. She is the beautiful Kristen Pitts-Karuso. I go by gaming historian. And until next time, Tudeloo, Tata, and Cheer ya. Bye.

Bye. See ya. See ya.