The ship was referred to as CVN-81 instead of the USS Doris Miller in a recent White House executive order
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NEED TO KNOW
- The USS Doris Miller was set to be the first aircraft carrier named after an African American and enlisted sailor
- Doris Miller, a Pearl Harbor hero, was the first Black recipient of the Navy Cross for his bravery during World War II
- According to reports, the Navy is now discussing renaming the warship after President Donald Trump instead
The U.S. Navy is reportedly in discussions to rename a warship after President Donald Trump, despite initial plans for the vessel to honor a heroic Black sailor.
According to a CNN report published on Thursday, Aug. 21, two sources familiar with the Navy’s internal discussions have claimed the aircraft carrier will be renamed to honor the 80-year-old president. This is despite the Navy announcing during Trump’s first term that the Ford-class carrier would be called the USS Doris Miller.
The enlisted sailor, who helped defend U.S. forces from Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, would instead be honored by the naming of a different warship, the outlet stated. Miller is also reportedly under consideration for the Medal of Honor, pending approval from Congress and the White House.
The Navy has been internally referring to the ship by its hull number, CVN-81, rather than as the USS Doris Miller, CNN reported. The carrier was also referred to in the same manner in a recent White House executive order.
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The USS Doris Miller was set to mark the first time an aircraft carrier honored an enlisted sailor and the first to be named after an African American, per CNN.
Miller’s great-nephew, Thomas Bledsoe, told the outlet that he hadn’t been informed of a proposed change in the name of the aircraft carrier or efforts for Miller to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
When contacted for comment regarding the aircraft carrier renaming, a Department of Defense official told PEOPLE, “We have nothing to announce at this time.”
Former Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly revealed the aircraft carrier’s name would honor Miller during a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day ceremony in Pearl Harbor in January 2020, CNN reported.
“An American sailor – so designated by the uniform that he wore — the same uniform all sailors wore, and still wear, regardless of race, ethnic background, or political persuasion,” Modly said in a Navy release at the time, per the outlet.
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Back in 1942, Miller became the first Black man to receive the Navy Cross — the Navy’s second highest honor — after famously opening fire on Japanese planes during World War II despite not having been trained on the weapon, per the National Museum of the Pacific War. Having been praised for also bringing wounded U.S. sailors to safety amid the conflict, he went on to serve as a mess attendant until Nov. 24, 1943.
Aircraft carriers are typically named after presidents, while destroyers are often named after Medal of Honor recipients, per NBC News. A final decision will be made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao.
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The ship’s keel-laying ceremony is expected to take place at the end of this year, although the vessel is not expected to be delivered until 2034, CNN reported.
“Ultimately, these names are meant to be symbolic and unifying for the Navy, and the nation it serves,” Modly told the outlet. “When they are named for people like Doris Miller, they raise broader awareness of the heroism, patriotism and sacrifices of all American sailors — not merely their commanders.”
The Navy did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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