The US Navy is considering renaming a new aircraft carrier that was intended to honour Doris “Dorie” Miller, the Black sailor celebrated for his actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, currently identified as CVN-81, was named USS Doris Miller in 2020 during President Donald Trump’s first administration. It would become the first US aircraft carrier named after an African American and the first named after an enlisted sailor.
According to people familiar with internal Navy discussions, officials are now working toward changing the name. Two sources said naming the carrier after President Donald Trump has been discussed, although no final replacement name has been announced.
Naming an aircraft carrier after a sitting president would break with historical practice. Several carriers bear the names of former presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, but none entered service while its presidential namesake was still in office.
Who was Doris Miller?
Miller was serving aboard the USS West Virginia during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
As a Black sailor in the segregated Navy, Miller was a mess attendant because relatively few occupational roles were then available to Black servicemen.
During the attack, he helped move his wounded commanding officer before taking control of an anti-aircraft gun despite having received no formal training on the weapon. He fired at attacking Japanese aircraft until his ammunition was exhausted and subsequently continued helping other sailors escape the sinking ship.
Admiral Chester Nimitz awarded Miller the Navy Cross in 1942.
Miller was killed the following year when the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during the Battle of Makin.
Medal of Honor now being considered
The Navy reportedly intends to preserve Miller’s recognition in another way if his name is removed from CVN-81.
Officials are considering naming another warship after him and recommending Miller posthumously for the Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military decoration for valor.
Miller’s family said it had not been informed about the potential carrier renaming. His great-nephew Thomas Bledsoe nevertheless welcomed the renewed Medal of Honor effort, saying the family has sought the recognition for years.
The carrier’s original naming was historically significant precisely because Miller was not a president, admiral or senior political figure. Former acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said the decision was intended to highlight the heroism and sacrifice of ordinary American sailors.
Why a decision is approaching
The Navy has reportedly stopped routinely referring to the vessel internally as USS Doris Miller and instead uses its hull designation, CVN-81.
Its keel-laying ceremony is expected toward the end of 2026, increasing pressure on the Navy to settle the name before that major construction milestone. Delivery of the carrier is reportedly not expected until around 2034.
The discussions also come amid a broader Pentagon review of military names. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously ordered changes to names that the administration considers connected to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, including the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk.
No decision to rename CVN-81 after Trump has been officially announced. The Department of Defense has said it currently has nothing to announce regarding the carrier’s name.
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