Posted on 12/07/2012 10:53:44 AM PST by inkling
Doris Dorie Miller was a Mess Attendant working on the USS West Virginia. Like most mornings, he rose before dawn for a dreary day of hauling trash, scrubbing dishes and prepping food for the battleships cook. While collecting the crews laundry, the General Quarters alarm sounded. Ships have drills all the time even on Sunday mornings but a sailor still must answer the call.
However this time he couldnt get to his designated battle station. The torpedo-twisted metal proved this alarm was for real.
With nowhere else to report, Dorie ran to the deck to see what was happening. Being a former fullback for his Waco, Texas high school, one of the officers told him to carry the wounded to safety. Soon he was told the ships captain was seriously wounded and trapped on the bridge. After bringing the mortally-wounded officer through the fire and blood to a safer place, Dorie saw a .50 caliber Browning without a gunner.
Dorie was just a hash slinger. He wasnt trained on handguns, let alone anti-aircraft guns. But his shipmates needed him.
(Excerpt) Read more at freedomworks.org ...
I think the word “hero” is thrown about much too freely these days, but it fits Dorie Miller.
Agree completely.
...here is a true hero whose deeds are worthy of re-telling.
Makes me wonder why I'd never heard of him before. I suppose that teachers would actually need to research history and learn something, rather than just repeating accepted dogma.
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