Federal officials are reportedly debating whether to strip the name of the future Ford‑class aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller and rename the vessel after President Donald Trump. The carrier, currently under construction at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia, was christened in 2020 during the former president’s first term.
Background on the ship and its namesake
The ship was named to honor Hospital Corpsman Second Class Doris Miller, a Black sailor whose actions during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor earned him the Navy Cross. Miller, then a cook aboard the USS West Virginia, helped move his mortally wounded captain to safety and later manned an anti‑aircraft gun, shooting down at least one Japanese plane despite having no formal training on the weapon.
Miller’s bravery was especially notable because the U.S. military remained racially segregated at the time, and Black service members often received limited recognition. He was killed in November 1943 when the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay was torpedoed during the Battle of Makin.
Proposed name change and its implications
According to three unnamed sources, discussions about renaming the carrier have been ongoing for most of the summer. The proposal would make the carrier the first Navy vessel named for a sitting president, a departure from the traditional practice of naming carriers after former presidents, notable admirals, or historic battles.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is said to have sent a memo to Congress recommending that Miller’s Navy Cross be upgraded to the Medal of Honor, a step that could further elevate his legacy. One source indicated the Navy is also exploring the possibility of assigning Miller’s name to a different ship, perhaps a destroyer, which more commonly bears the names of Medal of Honor recipients.
Family reaction
Thomas Bledsoe, Miller’s great‑nephew and family spokesperson, told ABC News that the idea of removing Miller’s name “comes as a shock” to the family. He expressed hope that a second carrier might still carry Miller’s name, but said the “best outcome would be not to rename it,” allowing the generation that grew up with the ship’s name to see it launch under his honor.
Historical context
The Navy has previously renamed ships, most prominently during the recent effort to remove Confederate names from the fleet. In 2023, Secretary Hegseth ordered the renaming of a vessel that had honored gay‑rights activist Harvey Milk.
While carriers are traditionally named for presidents, Medal of Honor recipients are more often commemorated with destroyers. The USS Carl Vinson, for example, bears the name of a long‑serving Democratic congressman from Georgia who was influential on naval affairs.
Political backdrop
President Trump has repeatedly hinted that a carrier bearing his name would be a fitting tribute. In February 2020, he remarked, “They won’t give me that honor… one day, maybe.” Since leaving office, Trump’s name has appeared on several federal and state projects, including a Florida airport renamed for him and a recent change to the U.S. Institute of Peace’s title.
The Navy has not commented publicly on the reports, and a Pentagon spokesperson said there is “no announcement to share at this time.”
Original reporting: Brookhaven News – ABC7 New York — read the source article.
