An African American cook who served in the Navy on Dec. 7, 1941 is being remembered not for his kitchen skills, but for his heroism in helping to fight off Japanese planes during the Pearl Harbor attack, the Newark Post reports.
Friday marks the 77th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack that brought the United States into World War II, killing more than 2,300 stationed at the Hawaiian naval base and nearly crippling the Navy’s Pacific Fleet.
One sailor, 22-year-old Dorie Miller, was on duty on the the USS West Virginia “date that would live in infamy.” In the segregated military, Blacks were not allowed to serve in high-post positions and were relegated to lower level jobs. In Miller’s case, he served as Third Class Messman. When bombs hit his ship, Miller grabbed an anti-aircraft gun and began firing on the invading aircraft. The West Virginia was sank, but was later salvaged during the war.
Source: On Pearl Harbor anniversary, Black Sailor’s heroism featured in new biographical book
