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Of course, not to be overlooked on a thread dealing with African American mess attendants, is the most highly decorated Mess Attendant third class Doris Miller of Waco Texas. On Dec 7 1941 he was aboard the battleship West Virginia when the Japanese attack started. Reporting to his anti aircraft position and finding it damaged from a torpedo hit, he was assigned to move wounded including the mortally wounded captain. That done, he manned a .50 caliber machine gun which he had never operated and allowed as he had 'got one of the enemy aircraft' as the battleship settled into the mud. He was subsequently awarded the Navy Cross and promoted to Mess Attendant and then to Cook third Class. Subsequently assigned to the Escort carrier Liscombe Bay, He perished in the attack on Makin Island a year later when the ship was torpedoed and exploded with great loss of life. The USS Frigate Miller FF-1091 was named for this hero.