"US Navy names CVN-81 after Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller" Topic

During an emotional Monday ceremony in Pearl Harbor, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly honored the legacy of World War II hero Doris Miller by bestowing his name on a future aircraft carrier.

It marks the first time a flattop has paid homage to an African American — a Navy Cross recipient and an enlisted service member — and it was decreed on a day set aside to remember the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his lifelong crusade to end racial discrimination across the United States.

With the USS Arizona Memorial his backdrop, Modly sketched how Miller rose to battle on the morning of December 7, 1941, a mess attendant in a racially segregated rating that made African American men servants to white officers.

Instead of collecting the morning's laundry, Miller carried wounded shipmates from the blazing battleship West Virginia after it was hit by enemy fire. He fought the flames as they erupted on the vessel and then manned a .50 caliber machine gun — a weapon he never had operated previously — to swat away Japanese planes during the ongoing surprise attack that launched the United States into World War II.[…]

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Awesome. Glad it wasn't another political hack on the US House appropriations subcommittee.

Not being familiar with all the US Navy Carriers, which is named for a political hack on a appropriations subcommittee?

So much better than some political person with no military action.

Not being familiar with all the US Navy Carriers, which is named for a political hack on a appropriations subcommittee?

First guess is CVN-70, second guess CVN-74.

CVN-70 is named after Congressman Carl Vinson, a congress critter that had a significant part in passing several naval bills prior to WW2.

CVN-74 is named after Senator John C. Stennis. Why? Duno.

You are all wrong. It is the USS Enterprise, CVN 80 (formerly CVN 65 and CVN 6) named for little known party chairman Lawrence J Enterprise, who famously got rich off of his district by selling children's school milk cartons to local cats.

Personally I preferred the old naming conventions, which were at least consistent and made sense and allowed the public to take pride in the ships, while reserving 'individual name' ships for vessels that were of less national importance.

When the Japanese sunk the Arizona and damaged the Pennsylvania, Nevada and California, people could join together in anger against that. Now, if an enemy sinks the John C. Stennis, the disaster could be worse in terms of cost and lives lost, but it's hard to rally the public around 'remember the Stennis!'

I think it is a good name as he was a war hero and died in combat a year or 2 later.

However I do think they should keep some of the original CV names, e.g. Enterprise, Hornet, Lexington, etc.

another political hack

That is a very big list and seems to be only getting bigger !

Dorie deserves a(nother) ship named in his honor. I just wish the Navy would stick to a naming convention for once. Give the man the next DDG or FF(X) just like so many other MoH/Navy Cross recipients.

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Not being familiar with all the US Navy Carriers, which is named for a political hack on a appropriations subcommittee?

Maybe not a hack but from my knowledge not a Navy guy in any form. Correct me if I'm wrong.

CVN-75 USS Truman.

USS Vinson and Stennis I believe

It is a good choice for the ship and well deserved. I too wish that the Navy would follow some sort of standard and skip naming the CVs for political figures. Including Bush, Ford, Stennis, Vinson, JFK, Truman and alike. Naming them after war heroes is fine, but I do prefer the names of previous carriers such as Enterprise, Constellation, Ticonderoga, Saratoga, Hornet, Yorktown and such.

I'm another who thinks we should have some sort of system for naming ships and stick with it. I fully support naming a ship after Miller, but agree it should be a DDG or similar.

And Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism at Pearl Harbor,even brought an enemy aircraft down with his persistent fire. Also,he was his ship's(battleship USS West Virginia) boxing champ. I do hope the carrier will sail and fight with all the courage of that sailor.

I'm with Fitzovich on keeping the previous names in use but Miller is probably the best choice they've made in a while. At least he symbolizes something the USN should look up to instead of being a politician.

Incidentally;there also, currently ,is a Knox class missile frigate named for the man.

Incidentally;there also, currently ,is a Knox class missile frigate named for the man.

USS Miller (FF-1091) was decommissioned almost 30 years ago.

Smaller ships like DD and LST's have always been named after heroic servicemen. I liked the idea of carriers named after battles, not humans, especially presidents.

I'll pose the question others may be afraid to ask? Why not named the USS Obama?

Wolfhag

It will come. Along with the Clinton.