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The Trump administration has been accused of delivering a “slap in the face” to US military veterans after reports that a navy aircraft carrier set to honor a Black war hero may, instead, be named after Donald Trump.
The US navy had previously announced that the carrier under construction would be called the USS Doris Miller, in tribute to a sailor celebrated for his heroism during the attack on Pearl Harbor in the second world war.
But the navy is now working to rename the carrier, CNN reported, citing three sources familiar with internal discussions. Two of those sources said there have been conversations about renaming it to honor Trump, according to the network.
“This is a slap in the face to every war hero and every service member who has worn the uniform,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP civil rights group. “Doris Miller earned his place in American history through courage, sacrifice, and service,” added Johnson. “Donald Trump only wants to serve himself.”
The US navy declined to comment. When contacted for comment, the White House referred the Guardian to the Department of Defense, which did not immediately respond.
Miller, a navy cook, reportedly shot down four to six Japanese bombers at Pearl Harbor in 1941, despite no formal training on the weapons system he used. He died at sea, in 1943, with two-thirds of the crew lost to a Japanese torpedo aboard the Liscome Bay. Cuba Gooding Jr portrayed him in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor.
He was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions at Pearl Harbor. The citation reads: “While at the side of his Captain on the bridge of the battleship U.S.S. WEST VIRGINIA, Mess Attendant First Class Doris Miller, despite enemy strafing and bombing and in the face of a serious fire, assisted in moving his Captain, who had been mortally wounded, to a place of greater safety, and later manned and operated a machine gun directed at enemy Japanese attacking aircraft until ordered to leave the bridge.”
His family has long advocated for his award to be upgraded to a Medal of Honor.
No carrier in the US navy has ever been named for a sitting president, and reports of the plan to name this one after Trump prompted heavy criticism on Friday.
“It’s beyond comprehension for a president to want his own name on a Navy ship while our armed forces are living in deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln,” Johnson, of the NAACP, said. “For generations, millions of Black women and men have proudly served in the United States military, defending freedoms that too often were not even afforded to them, their families, or their communities.
“Donald Trump is making a mockery of that legacy by treating military service as another opportunity for personal branding. Our brave service members signed up to defend the nation, not the fragile ego of one man. America deserves better than this.”
Mark Kelly, a Democratic US senator of Arizona and a retired navy officer, wrote on X: “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.”
