WASHINGTON – The Navy is considering changing the name of an aircraft carrier under construction that was designated to honor Doris “Dorie” Miller, the Texas-born Black sailor recognized for valor during the attack on Pearl Harbor, according to reports based on unnamed officials familiar with internal discussions.
CNN reported that officials have discussed naming the Gerald R. Ford-class carrier for President Donald Trump. No final decision has been publicly announced, and the Navy had not issued a formal notice changing the name as of Friday. Official Navy history and press-release pages continued to identify CVN-81 as the future USS Doris Miller.
The distinction is important because reports of internal discussions do not establish that a renaming has been approved. The Daily Beast characterized the proposal as an effort to take the honor from Miller, while the underlying CNN report said the Navy was weighing options and that the intended replacement name remained unclear.
The Navy announced the USS Doris Miller name in January 2020 during Trump’s first administration. The selection was notable because it would make Miller the first Black American and the first enlisted sailor honored as the namesake of a U.S. aircraft carrier.
Miller was born in Waco in 1919 and enlisted in the Navy in 1939, when segregation limited Black sailors largely to service positions. He was serving aboard the battleship USS West Virginia at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese forces attacked.
During the attack, Miller helped move the mortally wounded commanding officer and then operated an anti-aircraft machine gun despite having no formal training on the weapon. He received the Navy Cross in 1942, becoming the first Black recipient of what is now the service’s second-highest decoration for valor.
Miller was killed in November 1943 when the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay was sunk during the Battle of Makin. His service later became part of the national debate over segregation and equal opportunity in the armed forces.
According to the CNN report, the Navy has considered naming another warship for Miller and recommending him for the Medal of Honor if CVN-81 receives a new name. The report also said internal documents have increasingly referred to the ship by its hull number instead of the Doris Miller name. Those steps have not been confirmed in a public Navy decision.
Ship names are selected by the secretary of the Navy under longstanding department authority, and names can be changed before commissioning. The process has often reflected military tradition, politics and the priorities of the administration in office.
CVN-81 is being built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. Construction began with the first cut of steel in 2021, but recent industry reporting said the carrier’s schedule had slipped by about two years. It is the fourth ship in the Ford class.
Miller’s family told CNN it was shocked to learn about the possible change from news coverage rather than the Navy. Until an official decision is issued, the ship’s publicly announced name remains the future USS Doris Miller.
Source: The Daily Beast, published Aug. 20, 2026. Additional verification: CNN reporting and U.S. Navy records.
