Admiral C. W. Nimitz, CinCPac, pins Navy Cross on Doris Miller, at ceremony on board warship in Pearl Harbor, T. H.

Navy Messman Third Class Dorie Miller had joined the U.S. Navy in 1939, and was made a mess attendant, then cook, aboard the USS West Virginia. Although there were limited opportunities for African Americans in the Armed Forces during World War II, 2.5 million black men registered for the draft and thousands of black women joined auxiliary units. African Americans generally served in segregated combat support groups with limited military engagement.

During the Pearl Harbor attack on the morning of December 7, 1941, Miller first ensured the safety of several crewmates. Then he began firing at Japanese warplanes with a 50 caliber anti-aircraft gun. Miller shot down two Japanese aircraft (and possibly downed two more) during the raid.

As a messman, Miller was ineligible for military training, even though he was a hero in the Pearl Harbor attack. The letters and coupons from black newspapers to Roosevelt received attention from the President and were forwarded to the Navy Department. However, Miller was too old to attend the Naval Academy. Only candidates for midshipmen between the ages of 17 and 21 were considered. Miller was 23 years old.

Following Pearl Harbor, Miller received a Navy Cross from Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. He would later receive the Purple Heart, the American Defense Service Medal – Fleet Clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. In 1943, he was assigned to the USS Liscome Bay (still at the rank of messman) when he was killed during a Japanese submarine attack in the Pacific.