DORIS MILLER CVN 81
Ship Name and Designation History
This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.
Naming Ceremony by Acting SecNav Thomas Modly 20 January 2020 First Steel Cut 25 August 2021 Keel Authentication Ceremony TBD - Launched TBD |
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This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each name of the ship (for example, Bushnell AG-32 / Sumner AGS-5 are different names for the same ship so there should be one set of pages for Bushnell and one set for Sumner). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).
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Postmarks
This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each name and/or commissioning period. Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.
A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an
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THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the
existing example.
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Postmark Type |
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Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image |
Thumbnail Link To Cover Image |
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USPS |
2004-05-29 |
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First Day of Issue Distinguished Sailor Doris Miller cover used to document the naming ceremony of the USS DORIS MILLER CVN-81. Cachet by Dennis W. Gill
Other Information
NAMESAKE - Ship’s Cook Third Class Doris Miller, USN (12 October 1919 – 24 November 1943)
Miller was born in Waco, Texas. On 16 September 1939, he enlisted in the United States Navy. Following training at Naval Training Station, Norfolk, VA, he was promoted to Mess Attendant Third Class, one of the few ratings open at the time to blacks. After training school, he was assigned to the ammunition ship USS Pyro AE-1 and then was transferred on 2 January 1940 to the battleship USS West Virginia BB-48. It was on the USS West Virginia where he started competition boxing, becoming the ship's heavyweight champion. Miller was promoted to Mess Attendant Second Class on 16 February 1941. In July of that year he was on temporary duty aboard the USS Nevada BB-36 at Secondary Battery Gunnery School. He returned to the USS West Virginia in August 1941. During the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Miller manned anti-aircraft guns—for which he had had no training—and tended to the wounded. For his actions, he was recognized by the Navy and awarded the Navy Cross.
On 15 December 1941, Miller was transferred to the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis CA-35. On 1 January 1942, the Navy released a list of commendations for actions on 7 December 1941 and on 27 May 1942, Miller was personally awarded the Navy Cross by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. He was the first black sailor to be awarded the Navy Cross, the third highest honor awarded by the US Navy at the time, after the Medal of Honor and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. (The Navy Cross now precedes the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.) Miller's acts were heavily publicized in the black press, making him an iconic emblem of the war for black Americans. Miller was advanced to Mess Attendant First Class on 1 June 1942 and reported aboard the USS Liscombe Bay CVE-56. Nearly two years after Pearl Harbor, he was killed in action when his ship, USS Liscombe Bay CVE-56, was sunk by Japanese submarine I-175 during the Battle of Makin, 24 November 1943.
Ship’s Cook 3/c Doris Miller medals and ribbons are: the Navy Cross, the Purple Heart Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
Two ships of the US Navy have been named in his honor - USS Miller FF-1091 and USS Doris Miller CVN-81.
The ships sponsor are Charlene Austin and Taya Miller.
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