To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Doris Miller posthumously for acts of valor while a member of the Navy during World War II.
This bill would authorize the President to award Doris Miller the Medal of Honor posthumously for acts of valor performed as a Navy service member during World War II, for which he previously received the Navy Cross. It explicitly overrides existing time limitations for awarding certain military decorations, allowing the Medal of Honor to be awarded retroactively in Miller’s case. The bill also contains findings that highlight Miller’s heroism, the discrimination faced by African American sailors at the time, and Miller’s ongoing importance to the history of military service and civil rights. In short, the bill does not automatically award the Medal of Honor, but it clears the procedural and time-bar barriers so the President may grant Miller this highest decoration posthumously.
Key Points
- 1Authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor posthumously to Doris Miller for World War II service in the Navy, for actions for which he was awarded the Navy Cross.
- 2Overrides time-limit provisions in 10 U.S.C. 8298(a) and 8300 (and any other relevant time limits) so the MOH can be awarded in Miller’s case.
- 3Bases authority on findings about Miller’s heroism at Pearl Harbor and during the war, and on the broader historical context of racial discrimination in Navy combat roles.
- 4Emphasizes Miller’s prior recognition (Navy Cross) and his death on the USS Liscome Bay in 1943, linking his heroism to the case for the Medal of Honor.
- 5Introduced in the House on March 25, 2025, with multiple sponsors, and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.