The Navy is considering changing the name of a future aircraft carrier, currently set to honor World War II hero Doris Miller, to President Donald Trump’s name — among the names discussed internally.
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The Ford-class carrier is already under construction. In 2020, during Trump’s first term, the Navy announced it would be named USS Doris Miller. However, Navy leaders have been discussing a possible change for months, but no final decision has been announced.
If the ship keeps Miller’s name, it would become the first U.S. aircraft carrier named for a Black American and the first named for an enlisted sailor.
Miller was a mess attendant aboard the USS West Virginia when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. At the time, Black sailors were largely restricted to service roles in the Navy.
Despite having no training on the anti-aircraft gun he took over during the attack, Miller opened fire on Japanese aircraft and helped move wounded sailors to safety. He later became the first Black service member to receive the Navy Cross.
Miller was killed in 1943 when a Japanese submarine torpedoed his ship during World War II. His story later reached movie audiences when Cuba Gooding Jr. portrayed him in the 2001 film “Pearl Harbor.”
CNN reported that one option under discussion would place Miller’s name on another warship. The Navy is also recommending him for the Medal of Honor, though the award has not been approved.
Changing the carrier’s namesake to Trump would mark a different first. CNN reported that no U.S. aircraft carrier has ever been named for a sitting president.
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