Congressman Kweisi Mfume Introduces Bill to Award WWII Hero Doris Miller the Congressional Gold Medal, He Saved Many Lives During Pearl Harbor Attack
Washington, DC, Today, Congressman Kweisi Mfume introduced legislation posthumously awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to Mr. Doris (Dorie) Miller, an African American ship’s cook serving in the racially segregated steward’s branch of the U.S. Navy, in recognition of his acts of valor during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Dorie Miller was stationed on the USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked, thrusting the U.S. into the very last global war, World War II. Mr. Miller rushed to the main deck, moving his mortally-wounded captain out of harm’s way and then manning a .50-caliber anti-aircraft gun, downing multiple enemy planes and saving countless American lives before he was forced to abandon ship.
Miller’s valiance is even more admirable because he courageously worked to save a democracy that he could not fully enjoy. President Harry Truman integrated the military in 1948, which was the first U.S. institution to be integrated, just three years after the heroism of Dorie Miller and of so many African American soldiers, sailors, and airmen in World War II.
"This bill is part of a dual-tracked effort to federally recognize Dorie Miller who crossed the color line to rescue shipmates from the burning USS West Virginia and strafed Japanese war planes with anti-aircraft fire. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson has fought to give Mess Attendant First Class Miller's legacy the recognition it deserves since 2001, and I am so proud to join her efforts this year as she continues to focus on the Executive Branch while I seek support for Dorie Miller amongst the Congress," said Rep. Kweisi Mfume.
A copy of the Bill Rep. Mfume introduced is available by clicking the link here.
“I look forward to working with Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson and my colleagues in Congress to give Dorie Miller the Congressional Gold Medal he so rightly deserves. Dorie Miller is an American Hero and warrants an American salute that’s long overdue,” added Mfume.
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