Doris “Dorie” Miller was among four Navy sailors commemorated
for their bravery and distinction with a U.S. Postal Service
first-class stamp. The first black American hero of World War
II, Miller (1919-1943) became an inspiration for his actions at
Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Serving aboard the battleship
“West Virginia” as a mess attendant — the only job open to
blacks at the time — Miller helped rescue scores of shipmates
wounded or trapped in wreckage. Miller was later ordered to the
bridge to help move the ship’s mortally wounded captain. Never
trained in its operation, he manned an unattended .50-caliber
Browning anti-aircraft machine gun until he ran out of
ammunition and was ordered to abandon ship as fires raged out of
control. Born in Waco, Texas, Miller later described firing the
machine gun during the battle, a weapon that he had not been
trained to operate. “It wasn’t hard,” he said. “I just pulled
the trigger and she worked fine. I had watched the others with
these guns. I guess I fired her for