The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is demanding answers after reports surfaced that the U.S. Navy may remove Black WWII hero Doris Miller‘s name from an aircraft carrier and replace it with President Donald Trump‘s.
Derrick Johnson, NAACP President, in an X post Friday, called the move “a slap in the face to every war hero,” criticizing the timing given ongoing conditions aboard other Navy vessels. He wrote, “This is a slap in the face to every war hero and to every service member who has worn the uniform. It’s beyond comprehension for a president to want his own name on a Navy ship.”
Historic Vessel, Historic Honor
The USS Doris Miller, a Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier designated CVN-81, is being built by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (NYSE:HII). Named in 2020, it is the first aircraft carrier named after a Black American and the first to honor the heroism of an enlisted sailor.
Miller operated an anti-aircraft gun during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor despite having no formal training. He later became the first Black American to receive the Navy Cross. He was killed in action in 1943.
Citing two sources, CNN reported earlier this week that renaming discussions had occurred, though the Navy hasn’t confirmed this. The White House has separately announced replacing CVN-81’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System with steam catapults.
A Pattern of Renaming Push
The reported talks fit a broader trend under Trump’s administration, which has pursued renamings of federal landmarks and military installations, including restoring Confederate-linked names to Army bases and renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
The Kennedy Center’s renaming for Trump similarly drew backlash.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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