Through his brave actions on that terrible day, Dorie Miller became the first African American recipient of the Navy Cross, which at that time was the third-highest honor in the United States Navy.
During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Miller, despite having no formal training in their use, manned an anti-aircraft gun which he used to fight off enemy dive-bombers. In addition to this exemplary act of heroism, Miller showed great courage under fire by helping to move injured sailors to a place of relative safety.
Miller's battleship, the USS West Virginia, had been badly damaged and would eventually be sunk by Japanese bombs and torpedoes. Yet despite all the chaos around him, Miller displayed considerable courage under fire in helping to save the lives of his comrades, heedless of his own personal safety.
Sadly, Dorie Miller didn't live to see the end of the war in which he'd played such an important part. His ship, the USS Liscombe Bay, was sunk by the Japanese during the Battle of Makin Island in 1943, and though his body was never found, Miller was officially declared dead by the Navy the following year.
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