27 May 1942 Doris Miller is at the end of the line waiting to receive his citation.  Enlarge in a new window (132k). Photo courtesy of Naval Historical Center

Doris Miller Lifeline

Honors Received
Navy Cross Medal
Purple Heart Medal
American Defense Service Medal; Fleet Clasp
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal

Oct 12, 1919
Born in Waco, Texas

Sep 1939
Enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Mess Attendant, 3rd Class
Trained at the Naval Training Station in Norfolk, Virginia
Assigned to ammunition ship, USS Pyro as a Mess Attendant

Jan 1940
Transferred to the USS West Virginia
Became the ship's heavyweight boxing champion

Jul 1940
Assigned to temporary duty on the USS Nevada at Secondary Battery Gunnery School

Aug 1940
Returned to duty on the USS West Virginia

Dec 7, 1941
Japanese attack Pearl Harbor
Carried his wounded Captain to safety
Manned a 50-caliber Browning anti-arcraft machine gun
Crew ordered to abandon ship while the ship sank
130 men killed and 52 wounded out of 1541 on ship

Dec 13, 1941
Reports to the USS Indianapolis

April 1, 1942
Commended by the Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox

May 27, 1942
Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, personally presents the Navy Cross to Miller abourd the USS Enterprise for extraordinary courage in battle.

Nov, 1942
Returned to the west coast of the United States

Spring, 1943
Assigned to the new escort carrier, USS Liscome Bay

Nov 24, 1943
USS Liscome Bay struck by Japanese submarine torpedo
Ship sank within minutes when aircraft bomb magazine detonated
Doris Miller listed as missing

Nov 25, 1944
Miller officially presumed dead one year and one day after the ship sank
242 sailors survived, 646 died

Jun 30, 1973
USS Miller (FF-1091), a Knox class frigate ship was commissioned by the U.S. Navy in honor of Doris Miller.