to enter World War II (1939-1945), Miller’s incredible acts of bravery would start to change all that. Yet on that fateful December day at Pearl Harbor, which would prompt the U.S. There, as in the rest of the military and in American society, they were second-class citizens. In units where they were allowed to serve, they were largely segregated from white sailors. Black sailors could not become officers or be trained for combat. Navy wouldn’t let him join at a higher rank. Miller was Black-and because of this, the U.S. The job of messman amounted to little more than being a servant.
He made extra cash shining officers’ shoes and doing laundry. As a mess attendant, Miller served food and cleaned tables in the officers’ dining hall. Dorie Miller, a sailor aboard the battleship USS West Virginia, rose early and went about his morning tasks. December 7, 1941, began as a sleepy Sunday at Pearl Harbor, the United States naval base on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
