Naval Officer Doris Miller

As home to one of America’s most essential naval bases, Newport News was also home to Doris Miller.

Miller was a cook during WWII—one of the few, and lowly, jobs available to many Black men during the war.

Stationed on the USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor, Miller watched the other sailors handle their weapons, ship’s controls, and other equipment. When the Japanese surprise attack occurred, he grabbed a machine gun and led a counterattack on the Japanese warplanes, shooting down as many as six of them. Despite resistance by Navy Secretary Frank Knox, Miller was awarded the Navy Cross in 1942. He died in combat in 1943.

In 2010, nearly 70 years after his heroic feat, Miller was honored as one of four Distinguished Sailors on a US postage stamp. More recently, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier—scheduled for commission in 2032—was named the USS Doris Miller, the first time an enlisted man has received such an honor.