1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I’m writing to urge you to open and pass legislation now to permanently enshrine the name USS Doris Miller for CVN-81. The Navy is actively working to strip that name before the keel-laying ceremony at the end of this year, and Congress has both the authority and the obligation to stop it. Doris Miller earned this honor. On December 7, 1941, he ran toward the attack, carried his wounded commanding officer to safety, and then manned an anti-aircraft gun he had never been trained on — firing until he ran out of ammunition while his ship sank beneath him. He was awarded the Navy Cross by Admiral Nimitz himself. CVN-81 was set to be the first aircraft carrier named for an enlisted sailor and the first named for an African American. Renaming it — reportedly to honor a sitting president — would be unprecedented and would erase a recognition that was years in the making. The Medal of Honor recommendation now on the table for Miller is welcome, but it cannot be a substitute for the carrier name. Congress should codify USS Doris Miller into law before the keel-laying ceremony closes that window. This is exactly the kind of decision that belongs with the legislative branch, not with idiots like Pete Hegseth and racist Trump political appointees rewriting naming guidance behind closed doors. Honor Doris Miller. Thank you.