Navy Considers Renaming USS Doris Miller Carrier, With Trump Name Reportedly Discussed

The US Navy is considering renaming an aircraft carrier that was originally designated to honor Doris “Dorie” Miller, a Black sailor recognized for his actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, according to three sources familiar with internal discussions.

The Ford-class carrier, currently under construction and identified as CVN-81, was named the USS Doris Miller during a 2020 ceremony in Pearl Harbor.

The Navy has not publicly announced a new name. However, two sources told CNN that internal discussions have included the possibility of naming the carrier after President Donald Trump. Such a move would be unprecedented because no US aircraft carrier has been named for a sitting president.

The Navy is also considering naming another warship after Miller, according to one source, while recommending him for the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award for valor.

Miller's family was not informed of the potential change or the renewed Medal of Honor effort, according to his great-nephew, Thomas Bledsoe. Bledsoe said the family has been seeking the honor for years and called the Navy's recommendation “very positive.”

The Navy referred questions to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which said it had nothing to announce.

The effort to reconsider the carrier's name has been underway since earlier this year. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao and his office have also been reviewing guidance governing how Navy ships are named, including whether ships can be named for presidents.

The Navy has effectively stopped referring to the vessel as the USS Doris Miller internally and instead has been using its hull number, CVN-81.

The carrier's keel-laying ceremony is expected later this year. The ship is not expected to be delivered until 2034.

Who was Doris Miller?

Miller was a Navy mess attendant from Waco, Texas, who enlisted in 1939. At the time, mess attendant was one of the few Navy positions available to Black sailors.

During the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, Miller was retrieving laundry when Japanese aircraft began attacking the US fleet. Damage to his ship prevented him from reaching his assigned battle station.

Instead, Miller helped carry his wounded commanding officer to safety before taking control of an anti-aircraft gun despite having no formal training on the weapon.

He fired at Japanese aircraft until the ammunition ran out and continued helping fellow sailors escape as the ship began to sink.

Miller received the Navy Cross from Admiral Chester Nimitz in 1942. He later participated in a War Bond tour before being killed during the Battle of Makin in 1943.

His story was portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2001 film “Pearl Harbor.”

A change in Navy ship naming

The decision to name an aircraft carrier after Miller was notable. It marked the first time a carrier would honor an enlisted sailor and the first time an aircraft carrier would be named for an African American.

Former Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announced the name in January 2020.

Modly said the name was recommended by retired Black admirals and that Miller represented the heroism and sacrifice of American sailors.

The Navy later created a commission to examine the naming of ships and other military assets. The review came amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to reconsider military names associated with diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously ordered changes to the names of military installations and directed the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk, which honored the Navy veteran and gay rights activist.

Aircraft carriers are often named for former presidents, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, USS George H.W. Bush, USS Ronald Reagan and USS George Washington. Other carriers honor prominent military figures or lawmakers, including the USS Nimitz and USS Carl Vinson.

Naming CVN-81 for Trump while he is still president would represent a significant departure from that tradition.