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In honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in the U.S., I am featuring Doris "Dorie" Miller from Waco, TX.
Miller was serving on the battleship West Virginia in Pearl Harbor as a Navy Cook 3rd Class when the Japanese attacked in Dec 7 1941. When the attack began, Miller manned an anti-aircraft gun, despite having no training, and shot down several Japanese planes. He also helped numerous injured sailors to safety. Sadly, he later died in battle in 1943. He is the first black American to receive the Navy Cross, the second highest service decoration for valor in combat.