US Navy considers renaming aircraft carrier CVN-81 from Doris Miller to Donald Trump

Renaming effort inside the Navy

The US Navy is reviewing plans to change the name of its fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier, which was scheduled to be named after Doris Miller, a Black sailor awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Internal discussions reported by three people familiar with the matter include proposals to name the vessel after sitting president Donald Trump. During Trump's first presidential term in 2019, the Navy announced that the warship would carry Miller's name, which would make it the first aircraft carrier named for an African American and an enlisted sailor. Since the start of this year, official Navy communications have stopped using the name USS Doris Miller, referring to the vessel almost exclusively by its hull number, CVN-81. A White House directive regarding shipbuilding also used only the hull designation.

Doris Miller's wartime record

Miller enlisted in the US Navy in 1939 from Texas as a Mess Attendant Third Class, one of the few naval ratings open to Black recruits at the time. When Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Miller was collecting laundry on the battleship USS West Virginia before moving to the bridge to help carry his mortally wounded captain to safety. He then manned an antiaircraft machine gun without prior training on the weapon system, firing at attacking aircraft until he ran out of ammunition and received orders to abandon the bridge. Accounts record that he shot down between four and six Japanese bombers during the engagement. Miller received the Navy Cross in 1942 for his conduct during the battle. He died at sea in 1943 when a Japanese torpedo struck the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay, killing two-thirds of the crew.

Reactions from family and lawmakers

The proposal to drop Miller's name from the carrier drew immediate objections from lawmakers and surprised Miller's surviving relatives. Mark Kelly, a Democratic US senator for Arizona and a retired Navy officer, publicly opposed any change to the vessel's planned name.

Dorie Miller's bravery at Pearl Harbor is legendary and resulted in him being awarded the Navy Cross. This aircraft carrier shouldn't be renamed at all, let alone for Donald Trump, who has denigrated servicemembers like Dorie Miller who have paid the ultimate price.

Miller's grandnephew, Thomas Bledsoe, stated that the family learned about the renaming discussions only through news reports. Bledsoe explained that the family has campaigned for years to have Miller's Navy Cross upgraded to the Medal of Honor, which requires congressional approval and presidential sign-off. The Navy is currently recommending the Medal of Honor for Miller and considering naming a different warship in his honor.

Ship naming policies and timeline

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao and his staff are updating the service guidelines that govern how US warships receive their names. No US aircraft carrier has ever been named for a president while still in office, though past carriers carry the names of former presidents including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan. Schedule pressure surrounds CVN-81 because its formal keel-laying ceremony is planned for the end of this year. Delivery of the completed nuclear-powered carrier to the fleet is projected for 2034. The aircraft carrier discussions follow Trump's announcement in October of a proposed 15-ship battleship class bearing his name, an initiative that the Congressional Budget Office estimated in early August would cost $275 billion.