Navy may strip Black war hero’s name from ship, potentially renaming it for Trump, sources say

The U.S. Navy is reportedly considering renaming the aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller, which was previously designated to honor Doris "Dorie" Miller, a Black war hero from Pearl Harbor. Internal discussions within the Navy have raised the possibility of renaming the vessel after former President Donald Trump, an unprecedented move for an aircraft carrier to be named after a sitting president. The USS Doris Miller, identified by its hull number CVN-81, is currently under construction, and the Navy has reportedly ceased referring to it by name internally.

This potential renaming is said to be part of a broader directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to remove names selected for "diversity, equity, and inclusion" purposes from Pentagon assets. Hegseth's efforts, exemplified by a 2025 order to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, aim to "reestablish the warrior culture" within the military. Several other ships named after civil rights leaders, including Harriet Tubman, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Medgar Evers, are also reportedly under review for renaming.

While the family of Doris Miller was reportedly not informed of the potential name change, the Navy is considering honoring Miller with a different warship and is recommending him for the Medal of Honor. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao is reportedly researching updates to the official guidance for ship naming conventions, including who ships can be named after.