1-1 1 1-2 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 1206 1-3 WHEREAS, World War II hero Doris "Dorie" Miller exhibited 1-4 unparalleled courage during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and this 1-5 bravery has not received the just honors and recognition it merits; 1-6 and 1-7 WHEREAS, A native Texan, Dorie was born in Waco in 1919 1-8 and enlisted in the United States Navy in 1939; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Dorie's ship, the USS West Virginia was among 1-10 those attacked in the early morning of December 7, 1941; and 1-11 WHEREAS, With little regard for his own personal safety, 1-12 the 22-year-old Dorie assisted his mortally wounded captain out 1-13 of the line of fire to shelter; and 1-14 WHEREAS, While struggling back to the bridge amid heavy 1-15 fire and detonating bombs, Dorie came upon a machine gun whose 1-16 gunner had been killed; although Dorie had never been trained 1-17 to use the weapon, he began firing at the Japanese planes with 1-18 telling effect and continued firing until the crew was ordered 1-19 to abandon the ship; and 1-20 WHEREAS, For his heroism on board the West Virginia, 1-21 Dorie Miller received the Navy Cross, the United States Navy's 1-22 highest honor, from Admiral Chester Nimitz during a ceremony 2-1 on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise at Pearl Harbor on 2-2 May 27, 1942; Dorie was the first African American to receive 2-3 the award; and 2-4 WHEREAS, Later assigned to the USS Liscome Bay in the 2-5 Pacific, Dorie was on board on November 24, 1943, when the light 2-6 aircraft carrier was sunk by a submarine; 272 sailors survived 2-7 but 646 were lost, and Dorie was officially presumed dead a year 2-8 and a day after the carrier went down; and 2-9 WHEREAS, Citizens across the State of Texas believe that 2-10 Dorie Miller should be awarded the highest honor that a member of 2-11 the United States Armed Forces can receive, the Congressional Medal 2-12 of Honor; a man of great gallantry, Dorie Miller is entitled to the 2-13 respect and gratitude of our nation; now, therefore, be it 2-14 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 2-15 77th Legislature, hereby respectfully request the Congress of 2-16 the United States of America to bestow on Doris Miller the 2-17 Congressional Medal of Honor; and, be it further 2-18 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate forward 2-19 official copies of this Resolution to the President of the 2-20 United States, to the President of the Senate and the Speaker 2-21 of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, 2-22 and to all the members of the Texas delegation to the Congress 2-23 with the request that this Resolution be officially entered 2-24 into the Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of 3-1 the United States of America. 3-2 Armbrister Gallegos Shapiro 3-3 Barrientos Harris Shapleigh 3-4 Bernsen Haywood Sibley 3-5 Bivins Jackson Staples 3-6 Brown Lindsay Truan 3-7 Cain Lucio Van de Putte 3-8 Carona Madla Wentworth 3-9 Duncan Moncrief West 3-10 Ellis Nelson Whitmire 3-11 Fraser Ogden Zaffirini 3-12 Ratliff, President of the Senate 3-13 ______________________________________ 3-14 President of the Senate 3-15 I hereby certify that the above 3-16 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 3-17 on May 25, 2001. 3-18 ______________________________________ 3-19 Secretary of the Senate