CNN reports that the Navy is weighing a possible name change for the carrier planned to honor Doris Miller. The 2020 designation was set to make it the first aircraft carrier named for an African American and for an enlisted sailor’s combat actions.
What CNN reported
The U.S. Navy is working on a possible renaming of an aircraft carrier under construction that was set to honor Doris Miller, CNN reported. Donald Trump is under consideration for the name, according to CNN.
No final decision has been publicly announced. The report describes a possible change, not a completed naming decision or a public selection of Trump.
The available reporting does not establish whether other names are being considered, what prompted the review, or whether a change would affect the carrier’s construction timetable.
The distinction attached to Miller’s name
In January 2020, the Navy announced that a future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier would be named for World War II hero Ship’s Cook Third Class Doris Miller.
The Navy said it would be the second ship named for Miller, the first aircraft carrier named for an African American, and the first aircraft carrier named for a sailor’s actions while serving in the enlisted ranks.
The announcement was made during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony at Pearl Harbor. The Navy said the selection honored the contributions of enlisted personnel of every race, religion and background.
Miller’s wartime actions
Miller was aboard the battleship USS West Virginia on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor. According to the Navy’s account, his assigned battle station had been damaged.
The Navy said Miller helped carry his mortally wounded commanding officer and then operated a .50-caliber anti-aircraft gun despite having no formal training on it. He fired until the ammunition ran out and later helped move wounded sailors as the ship was abandoned.
Miller received the Navy Cross from Adm. Chester Nimitz. He died in 1943.
How presidential carrier names fit in
Trump’s possible consideration would follow a Navy tradition of often naming aircraft carriers after U.S. presidents, according to a Navy announcement on future carriers named for William J. Clinton and George W. Bush.
That announcement said those two vessels would be the first Navy ships named for either Clinton or Bush. The reported review of the Miller carrier, however, remains unresolved.
What would settle the question
An official Navy announcement would clarify whether the Doris Miller name has been formally withdrawn and whether Trump, or another name, has been selected.
Until then, the relevant facts are limited: the Navy announced the Miller name in 2020, CNN has reported a possible renaming with Trump under consideration, and no final decision has been publicly announced.
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