Initially, the Ford-class ship was decided to be named after Doris “Dorie” Miller – a Black ordinary seaman who became famous during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The Navy announced this in January 2020, during the first term of D. Trump. According to CNN, discussions about the renaming have been ongoing since early 2026.
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As the channel reports, the fleet is considering naming another warship after D. Miller. Additionally, his candidacy has been put forward for the Medal of Honor – the highest U.S. military award. Thomas Bledsoe, D. Miller’s grandson, told CNN that the family was not informed about the changed plans.
According to CNN, within the Navy itself, the ship is no longer actually called “USS Doris Miller” – its number CVN-81 is used. In the latest White House decree regarding shipbuilding, it is also listed only as CVN-81.
The U.S. Navy must finalize the name before the keel-laying ceremony, which is scheduled for the end of the year. According to the “USNI News” portal, the ship is expected to be delivered to the forces no earlier than 2034.
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“NBC News” notes that the right to name ships belongs to the Secretary of the Navy, but defense secretaries usually actively participate in choosing names for aircraft carriers. Thus, the final decision will be made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the acting head of the U.S. Navy, Hung Cao.
How a cafeteria worker took up a machine gun
Doris Miller served in the Navy since 1939. He worked as a cafeteria assistant and had not undergone training to operate anti-aircraft weapons, but during the Pearl Harbor attack, he took up a machine gun, opened fire on Japanese planes, and later helped evacuate the wounded.
In 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz awarded him the Navy Cross. About a year later, D. Miller died in battle near Makino when his ship was hit by a Japanese torpedo.
