Eight Decades Later: Doris “Dorie” Miller Still Awaits The Medal Of Honor

Eight Decades Later: Doris “Dorie” Miller Still Awaits The Medal Of Honor

As Americans pause to remember Pearl Harbor, we honor the courage of the men and women who faced that surprise attack and changed the course of history. Among them stands one of our truest heroes: Doris "Dorie" Miller of Waco, Texas. More than eighty years after his actions aboard the USS West Virginia, the full recognition he earned remains unfinished.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Miller — a young Black sailor assigned as a mess attendant — ran toward smoke, flames, and enemy aircraft. Though he had no formal combat training, he manned an anti-aircraft gun and fired on attacking planes until he exhausted his ammunition. He then helped move wounded shipmates, including his mortally wounded captain, to safety. His courage saved lives and inspired those around him.

For those deeds Miller was awarded the Navy Cross, which at the time was the service’s second-highest decoration. Yet his actions met the standard for the Medal of Honor, and the absence of that highest award stands as one of the clearest examples of racial discrimination in U.S. military history.

"That he was not given the Medal of Honor remains one of the starkest examples of racial discrimination in U.S. military history."

I have known this story well and have pursued redress for decades. In the late 1980s, while serving in Congress, I found that no Black American had received the Medal of Honor for heroism in World War I or World War II. Working with the late Congressman Mickey Leland, I urged a comprehensive military review to identify servicemembers who had been denied the Medal because of systemic bias.

Those efforts produced progress. In 1991 President George H. W. Bush posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Corporal Freddie Stowers — 73 years after his death in World War I. That overdue recognition paved the way for corrections for several World War II veterans. Yet Doris Miller’s name remains absent from the list of Medal of Honor recipients.

The Navy has taken a meaningful step by naming a future aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller — the first carrier named for an African American and for an enlisted sailor. That honor is significant, and it rightly celebrates Miller’s legacy. But it does not fully address the specific injustice of denying him the Medal of Honor for the actions he took at Pearl Harbor.

Awarding the Medal of Honor to Miller now would do more than amend a historical record: it would reaffirm America’s commitment to justice, demonstrate that valor is recognized regardless of race, and send a powerful message to young people of all backgrounds that courage transcends color. It would complete work begun decades ago and restore to Miller the place in history he earned.

Joseph J. DioGuardi served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1985 to 1989. He has long advocated for racial justice in military honors and founded Truth In Government, a nonprofit dedicated to fiscal responsibility and recognition for Black American war heroes.