What This Bill Does
**
This bill authorizes the President to give the Medal of Honor (the highest military award) to Doris Miller after his death. Miller was a Navy sailor who performed brave acts during World War II, specifically during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
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Who It Affects
**
The President of the United States. Doris Miller (posthumously, meaning after his death).
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Key Provisions
**
• The President is authorized to award the Medal of Honor to Doris Miller after his death for acts of valor during World War II as a Navy member. (Sec. 2)
• The normal time limits for awarding certain military medals do not apply to this award. (Sec. 2)
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What Changes
**
If this bill becomes law, the President gains the authority to award the Medal of Honor to Doris Miller despite normal time restrictions that would otherwise prevent such an award.
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Important Definitions
**
None defined in the bill text.
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Effective Date
**
Not specified in bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1251
To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Doris Miller
posthumously for acts of valor while a member of the Navy during
World War II.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
Mr. MFUME (for himself, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr.
VEASEY, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. NORTON, Ms. LEE
of California, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. CARSON, Mr. PAYNE,
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. DAVIS of
Illinois, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. TITUS,
Ms. BROWN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. THOMPSON of California, and Mr.
CONNOLLY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services
A BILL
To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor
to Doris Miller posthumously for acts of valor while
a member of the Navy during World War II.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
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Congress finds the following:
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(1) Doris Miller, like other African-American
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sailors of his day, was generally relegated to service-
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•HR 1251 IH
based roles on ships, as the Navy did not allow sail-
1
ors of color to enlist in combat roles.
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(2) Doris Miller was acknowledged in the USS
3
West Virginia Action Report, individually, along
4
with other brave personnel for having ‘‘carried out
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every order promptly and enthusiastically, even when
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it meant danger to themselves. They did not attempt
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to abandon the bridge until ordered to do so’’.
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(3) Doris Miller aided other service members
9
and ‘‘was instrumental in hauling people along
10
through oil and water to the quarterdeck, thereby
11
unquestionably saving the lives of a number of peo-
12
ple who might otherwise have been lost’’.
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(4) On December 15, 1941, the Navy released
14
its commendations for actions in Pearl Harbor
15
which included one ‘‘unnamed Negro’’. It wasn’t
16
until March of 1942, at the behest of the NAACP,
17
that the Navy formally recognized Miller’s heroism.
18
(5) Doris Miller was recognized by the Navy
19
and awarded the Navy Cross Medal with the citation
20
reading ‘‘For distinguished devotion to duty, ex-
21
traordinary courage and disregard for his own per-
22
sonal safety during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl
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Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by Japanese forces on
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December 7, 1941. While at the side of his Captain
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•HR 1251 IH
on the bridge, Miller, despite enemy strafing and
1
bombing and in the face of a serious fire, assisted
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in moving his Captain, who had been mortally
3
wounded, to a place of greater safety, and later
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manned and operated a machine gun directed at
5
enemy Japanese attacking aircraft until ordered to
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leave the bridge.’’.
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(6) On May 27, 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz
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personally pinned the Navy Cross to Miller’s left
9
breast pocket while on board the aircraft carrier
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USS Enterprise.
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(7) Doris Miller died in action on November 24,
12
1943, on board the USS Liscome Bay in the Pacific
13
Ocean after a single Japanese torpedo sank the ves-
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sel off the coast of Butaritari Island.
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(8) Of the 15 sailors who were awarded the
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Medal of Honor for similar actions taken during the
17
attack on Pearl Harbor, not one was African Amer-
18
ican.
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(9) Doris Miller deserves the highest honor the
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United States can bestow upon a member of the
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Armed Forces.
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•HR 1251 IH
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR POSTHUMOUS AWARD OF
1
MEDAL OF HONOR TO DORIS MILLER FOR
2
ACTS OF VALOR WHILE A MEMBER OF THE
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NAVY DURING WORLD WAR II.
4
Notwithstanding the time limitations specified in sec-
5
tions 8298(a) and 8300 of title 10, United States Code,
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or any other time limitation with respect to the awarding
7
of certain medals to persons who served in the Armed
8
Forces, the President is authorized to award the Medal
9
of Honor posthumously, under section 8291 of such title,
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to Doris Miller (service number 356–12–35) for acts of
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valor during World War II while a member of the Navy.
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Æ
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