He was Military (Navy) by profession. In Houston, Texas, and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, elementary schools have been named for him, as has a Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter in Los Angeles. In addition to the Navy Cross, Miller received the Purple Heart, the American Defense Service Medal – Fleet Clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. According to his mother, the midwife ‘just liked the sound of Doris.’ “Doris was never ashamed of his name. He has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on October 12, 1919. Doris Miller holds great compassion and seeks to be of service to others. Do you find this information helpful? Although he had no previous training in operating the weapon, by the end of the attack he managed to shoot down at least two, and perhaps as many as six, Japanese aircraft. Miller entered A. J. Moore High School in Waco and became the school’s star fullback. Miller then pulled a captain and several of his crew mates to safety under heavy enemy fire. Doris Miller, byname Dorrie, (born October 12, 1919, Waco, Texas, U.S.—died November 24, 1943, off Butaritari Atoll, Gilbert Islands), U.S. naval serviceman noted for his bravery during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (1941). Less than a month before his twentieth birthday, Miller enlisted in the United States Navy at its Dallas recruiting station. Navy officials conferred the Navy Cross upon Miller on May 27, 1942, in a ceremony at Pearl Harbor. At that time the Navy was segregated so combat positions were not open to African-Americans. Doris Miller is best known as a War Hero. Hubert was born on January 26 1871, in Shirleysburg, Huntingdon Co., Pa. Learn about Doris Miller (War Hero): Birthday, bio, family, parents, age, biography, born (date of birth) and all information about Doris Miller Moore Academy. Miller was doing laundry as a mess attendant aboard the West Virginia on December 7, 1941, when it was subjected to a surprise attack by Japanese forces. He was one of four sons. U.S. Navy cook who was the first African-American recipient of the prestigious Navy Cross. © All Rights Reserved. Darlene He supplemented the family income by working as a cook in a small restaurant in Waco during the Great Depression. ... Doris was born on August 10, 1940 in Blairsville, GA., daughter of the late Homer Hood & Lydia Dyer. After making sure that his fellow sailors were out of harm’s way, Miller returned to the bridge, secured an unattended 50-caliber anti-aircraft gun, and began firing at Japanese warplanes. Following bootcamp training in Norfolk, Virginia, he was assigned to the USS West Virginia as a messman. The midwife attending his birth was convinced he would be a girl, thus the child was named Doris. As the third of four sons in a family engaged in subsistence farming, he was forced to drop out of school. Trivia (2) He was played by Elven Havard in Tora! Doris “Dorie” Miller was born on October 12, 1919 in Waco, Texas, the son of Connery and Henrietta Miller. Doris married Floyd C. Bell on month day 1914, at age 22 at marriage place , Iowa. It was Miller’s first experience firing such a weapon because black sailors serving in the segregated steward’s branch of the navy were not given the gunnery training received by white sailors. “It wasn’t hard,” Miller recalled, “I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine.” Once Miller ran out of ammunition, he was ordered to abandon ship. Parrish, who co-authored Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor, and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement, said President Harry S. Truman’s executive order to desegregate the military in 1948 can also be traced to Miller’s heroics at Pearl Harbor. Doris E. Miller March 29, 1936-September 19, 2020 DAVENPORT-Doris E. Miller, 84, of Davenport passed away on Saturday, September 19, 2020 at Genesis Medical Center - East Campus, Davenport. Moore Academy. As the third of four sons in a family engaged in subsistence farming, he was forced to drop out of school. He was the first black American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the second-highest decoration for valor in combat after the Medal of Honor. Although Miller’s courage under fire was initially overlooked, the black press seized his story and pressured the Navy to recognize him. C. Whitaker, Peace Be Still: Modern Black After hearing a loud and urgent summons to battle, Miller, who made his way from below deck to the ship’s bridge, saw Japanese fighter planes attacking US Naval forces, and the harbor already engulfed in flames. When the first bombs blasted his ship at anchor in Pearl Harbor, Miller went to the main deck where he assisted in moving the mortally wounded captain. He was a fullback on the football team at Waco's Alexander James Moore High School. 50-caliber anti-aircraft gun, and began firing at Japanese warplanes. Although he had no previous training in operating the weapon, by the end of the attack he managed to shoot down at least two, and perhaps as many as six, Japanese aircraft. Doris (“Dorie”) Miller was born in Waco, Texas, on October 12, 1919, to Henrietta and Connery Miller. Miller grew to 6 feet 3 inches, weighed over 200 pounds, and played football at Waco’s A.J. Miller, known to … He was the third of four sons and grew up in a strong and loving household. Miller weathered these indignities because he felt he had no other options. Miller grew to 6 feet 3 inches, weighed over 200 pounds, and played football at Waco’s A.J. Dorie Miller was born on October 12, 1919, to Conery and Henrietta Miller of Waco, Texas. The Navy then promoted Miller to Cook, third class and moved him from the laundry room to the galley. Who is Doris Miller? Volume (New York: Prentice Hall, 2003); Matthew She is a female celebrity. He was made a mess attendant, one the few positions available to African Americans at the time. the United States Navy noted for his bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He began attending the eighth grade again on January 25, 1937, at the age of 17 but was f… Doris Miller was born Oct. 12, 1919, and grew up in Speegleville, Texas, near Waco. Doris Miller passed away on April 29, 2021 at the age of 80 in Blairsville, Georgia. He was named Doris, as the midwife who assisted his mother was convinced before his birth that the baby would be a girl. An auditorium on the campus of Huston-Tillotson College in Austin is dedicated to his memory. “World War II was really the turning point in that long struggle,” Parrish told NPR. Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. portrayed Miller in the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor. He was American by natinoanliy. Doris "Dorie" Miller (October 12, 1919 – November 24, 1943) was a Messmen Third Class. World War II war hero Doris “Dorie” Miller was born in Waco, Texas on October 12, 1919 to Conery and Henrietta Miller who were farmers just outside the city. Doris was a big child, at 5′ 9:, … Miller was born in 1919 in Texas, the third of four sons. However, he struggled in school. All donations are tax deductible. In addition to conferring upon him the Navy Cross, the navy honored Doris Miller by naming a dining hall, a barracks, and a destroyer escort for him. He was born on October 12, 1919 at Waco, Texas, United States. Doris Myrtle Poorman was born in 1892, at birth place, Iowa, to Fred Marvin Poorman and Cora May Wallace. Doris Miller, often referred to as “Dorie,” was born near Waco, Texas, on 12 October 1919; the third of four sons born to sharecroppers Connery and Henrietta Miller. World War II war hero Doris “Dorie” Miller was born in Waco, Texas on October 12, 1919 to Conery and Henrietta Miller who were farmers just outside the city. 1920 United States Federal Census Miller was eventually elevated to Cook, Third Class and assigned to the USS West Virginia stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Doris (Dorie) Miller, African-American hero of World War II, was born Doris Miller in Waco, Texas, on October 12, 1919, the son of sharecroppers Connery and Henrietta Miller. Miller himself told Navy officials he thought he hit one of the planes. Miller was the son of a sharecropper, the third of four children. He was also famous from other names as Dorie. (Miller) Cooper was born c. 1957. Mess Attendant First Class Doris "Dorie" Miller was born in Waco, Texas, in 1919, the son of a couple hard-working sharecroppers who had traveled the land working cotton fields. Doris 'Dorie' Miller was born on October 12, 1919 in Waco, Texas, USA. After high school, he worked on his father’s farm until 1938 when he enlisted in the Navy as mess attendant (kitchen worker) to earn money for his family. Doris (Dorie) Miller, African-American hero of World War II, was born Doris Miller in Waco, Texas, on October 12, 1919, the son of sharecroppers Connery and Henrietta Miller. Miller was born on October 12, 1919, in Waco Texas, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1939. One year prior to Doris’s birth their first daughter, Mary Imogene Miller, was born January 12, 1928. Doris Susan Miller (born Landis) was born on month day 1906, at birth place, Louisiana, to Hubert Bashore Landis and Mary Effie Landis (born Coppock). In 1973, the Knox-class frigate USS Miller was named for Doris “Dorie” Miller. She married Marvin D. Cooper on June 20, 1975 in Texas and they later separated on March 20, 1986 in Texas. Doris Miller was born and raised in Waco and was the first African-American to be awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery during Pearl Harbor. He died on November 24, 1943. He was the son of Connery Miller (father) and Henrietta Miller (mother). Miller was born in Waco, Texas, on October 12, 1919, to Connery and Henrietta Miller. Cultural Arts of Waco, “Boy’s Chance Meeting with Father of Hero”. During the spring of 1943, Dorie Miller was assigned to the Liscome Bay and was still serving as a “messman” on the warship, despite his previous heroism, when the carrier was sunk in the Gilbert Islands (now the Republic of Kiribati) on November 24, 1943. Biography. He enjoyed playing with his brothers but was also a considerate child. (Miller) Cooper had been residing in Montgomery County, Texas. Please join us in this important effort. On December 7, 1941, Mess Attendant Second Class Doris Miller was collecting soiled laundry just before 8:00 A.M. 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