On this day in 1919, an “improbable American hero” is born. Doris “Dorie” Miller was the grandson of slaves and the son of poor Texas sharecroppers. His boyhood friends would remember him as a “real ... View MoreOn this day in 1919, an “improbable American hero” is born. Doris “Dorie” Miller was the grandson of slaves and the son of poor Texas sharecroppers. His boyhood friends would remember him as a “real sweet person, not rowdy like the other boys.” He was a “nice fellow” whom they called “Power” because he was so big: 6 feet, 3 inches tall.The boy called “Power” enlisted in the Navy in 1939 as a Mess Attendant, third class. Back then, his race prevented him from serving in any other capacity. Of this situation, Miller merely remarked that “it beats sitting around Waco working as a busboy, going nowhere.”Miller was stationed aboard USS West Virginia just a few years later, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. It was early in the morning, and Miller was collecting laundry. “All of a sudden there was a noise overhead,” one of Miller’s friends recalled. “We began to realize that these were not drills; they were the real McCoy.”Miller’s battle station had been destroyed, so he moved to a more central location aboard ship. Remember, at this juncture, everything would have been complete mayhem. The Japanese were flying overhead, dropping bombs. Fires and explosions were tearing through ships. The Navy had been abruptly thrust into war. Sailors had mere seconds to make the mental adjustment.Miller began pulling wounded sailors to safety. The Captain of the ship had been hit, and he had a huge, gaping wound in his abdomen. Miller pulled the Captain to a place of greater safety, too. Another officer saw Miller and ordered him to supply ammunition to two inactive machine guns on deck. But Miller started firing those guns! He’d never fired such a weapon before, nor had he been trained in using them (again) because of his race. “It wasn’t hard,” Miller said later. “I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine. . . . I guess I fired her for about fifteen minutes. I think I got one of those Jap planes. They were diving pretty close to us.”Accounts vary on how many planes Miller hit. The Navy credits him with one, but he may have hit as many as six.It soon became clear that West Virginia could not stay afloat. Miller evacuated with the crew, but he rescued even more men as he went.Word got out about the heroic mess attendant—except no one knew his identity! Civil rights groups began to wonder why the Navy could so quickly identify white heroes, but could not seem to identify its black ones. Finally, in March 1942, the Navy named Miller as the hero, and a letter of commendation was issued. “[W]e would like to know why it required so long to identify Mr. Miller,” a Pittsburgh Courier article demanded, “and why to date he has received no reward for his heroism.”The bad news? Yes, our Navy used to be segregated and injustices occurred. The good news? We Americans are always learning, always bettering ourselves, and always working toward more freedom and equality.Thus, the Navy did the right thing: In May 1942, Admiral Chester Nimitz himself awarded the Navy Cross to Miller. “This marks the first time in the present conflict,” Nimitz said, “that such high tribute has been made in the Pacific Fleet to a member of his race, and I am sure that the future will see others similarly honored.”Sadly, Miller would not live to see the end of the war—or the desegregation of the Navy, which he has been credited with prompting. Instead, Miller was killed in late 1943 when his ship, USS Liscome Bay, was sunk by a Japanese submarine.---------------------------If you enjoy these history posts, please see my note below. 
Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright © 2013-2021 by Tara Ross. I appreciate it when you use the shar e feature instead of cutting/pasting.SOURCES: TARA ROSSWEBSITE: taraross.com#TDIH #OTD #History #USHistory #liberty #freedom #ShareTheHistory
On this day in 1780, Patriot militia win a stunning victory against a band of Loyalists at the Battle of Kings Mountain.The “memorable victory,” as Thomas Jefferson called it, was much-needed. It fin... View MoreOn this day in 1780, Patriot militia win a stunning victory against a band of Loyalists at the Battle of Kings Mountain.The “memorable victory,” as Thomas Jefferson called it, was much-needed. It finally turned the tide after a long, difficult summer in which Americans had been repeatedly defeated in southern cities such as Charleston and Camden. Maybe it was British Major Patrick Ferguson who finally pushed locals over the edge?The British Major had come to be known as the “Bulldog.” He’d issued a threat to the local militia: Lay down your arms or we’ll hang your leaders and destroy the countryside. Things were getting personal, and the local militia had had enough. They were determined to defend their lives, their families, and their homes.A group of men—the Over Mountain Men—gathered to stop Ferguson. They started their pursuit of him on September 26. For his part, Ferguson remained cocky. He thought the Over Mountain Men the “dregs of mankind.” He decided to make a stand at King’s Mountain with his force of about 1,100 Loyalists. Brimming with overconfidence, he didn’t spend much time considering his defenses. He was sure he’d win. According to legend, he declared that “he was on King’s Mountain, that he was king of that mountain, and God Almighty could not drive him from it.” Roughly 900 Patriots attacked on October 7. They’d separated into multiple columns and stealthily worked their way toward Ferguson’s men. They’d approached from many directions so as to surround the Loyalists. They were so quiet that they were nearly there before the Loyalists realized the Patriots were approaching.The battle began with a Loyalist bayonet charge down the mountain. It was the only advantage that the Loyalists would have. The battle would be decided by the determination of the Patriots—and their weapons. They were carrying American rifles, and the Over Mountain Men were good, accurate shots. During much of the Revolution, the rifles weren’t always useful, despite their extended range. They took too long to reload. In this instance, however, the rifles were perfect. The Patriots had plenty of trees to use for cover, and they steadily worked their way uphill.The Americans were winning, but Ferguson refused to believe it. When some of his men attempted to raise white flags, he hacked them down! Finally, he seemed to realize that he’d been defeated. He rushed the American lines, apparently hoping to break through and escape. Instead, he was shot and killed. His second-in-command was finally able to hoist a surrender flag.Unfortunately, the Patriot militia wasn’t at its best in that moment. The long summer’s worth of pent-up anger could not be easily restrained. The Loyalists sought quarter, but the Patriots at first refused to give it. They stopped killing the Loyalists only when American officers finally made them. The victory had a huge, positive impact on the Patriot cause! George Washington called it a “proof of the spirit and resources of the country.” Thomas Jefferson later remembered the victory as the “joyful annunciation of that turn of the tide of success which terminated the revolutionary war with the seal of our independence.” British General Charles Cornwallis moved his forces away from the area, possibly believing the Patriot militia to be larger and better organized than it really was. The ultimate victory at Yorktown was only one year away.---------------------------If you enjoy these history posts, please see my note below. Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright © 2013-2021 by Tara Ross. I appreciate it when you use the share feature instead of cutting/pasting.#TDIH #OTD #History #USHistory #liberty #freedom #ShareTheHistorySOURCE: Tara Ross, copied from Facebook
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