A John Hope Franklin Anecdote

The recent death (March 25, 2009) of Professor John Hope Franklin at age 94 brought back bittersweet memories. In February 1980, the East Texas Historical Journal published as its lead article, an essay entitled — "Aboard the Wrong Ship in the Right Books: Doris Miller and Historical Accuracy." A number of acclaimed histories of African Americans during World War II placed Messman Second-Class Doris Miller aboard the USS Arizona during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. One of the main contentions of the Doris Miller article was that Miller served aboard the USS West Virginia, not the Arizona. This error made its way into John Hope Franklin's survey of African American history in the United States: From Slavery To Freedom in 1947. This book, through its eight editions (1947-2000), repeated the error about Doris Miller's service through all eight editions. This blogger wrote about this error to Professor Franklin while Franklin was Chair of the Department of History at the University of Chicago. The letter enclosed a copy of the Doris Miller article. Professor Franklin, a gracious reply, offered thanks and promised a review of the Doris Miller passage. However, the error remained in print in the final edition of From Slavery To Freedom. The moral of the story? You can lead a great historian to an error, but you can't make him correct it. If this is (fair & balanced) quibbling, so be it. RIP, John Hope Franklin.

[x Texas Escapes Online Magazine: Travel and History]
Doris Miller: Hero
By Archie P. McDonald

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aboard action air aircraft american article assigned assist baby began birth captain commenced deck dive-bombers doris east exaggerated experiences female following forces happening harbor hero historical honored island japanese launch learn lost miller name navy neil pearl planes schools sea several ship struck took training uss various virginia waco wounded

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The East Texas Historical Journal contains an excellent article by Neil Sapper titled “Aboard The Wrong Ship In The Right Books: Doris Miller(M And Historical Accuracy.”

The article celebrated the actual experiences of Doris Miller, the first African American hero of WWII, who was born in Willow Grove, near Waco. Miller, the fourth son of Connery and Henrietta Miller, was named by the midwife who assisted his mother shortly before his birth because she was convinced the baby would be female.

Miller attended local segregated schools, including W.L. Moore High School in Waco, and worked at various jobs before enlisting in the Navy in Dallas in 1939. Following training in Norfolk, Virginia, he was assigned to duty as a mess man aboard the USS West Virginia.

Miller’s ship was among those berthed on “Battleship Row,” or Ford Island, in Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941, when naval air forces of the Empire of Japan struck air, land, and sea forces of the United States at 7:55 a.m. on what had begun as a lazy Sunday morning in Hawaii. He was gathering soiled laundry when the attack began, and rushed to the deck to learn what was happening.

After helping to assist the ship’s wounded captain, Miller took over a deck gun, though he had never been trained in its use, and commenced firing at the Japanese fighter planes at dive-bombers that continued to strafe and launch explosives toward the anchored American ships.

The story of his brave action became exaggerated after the action ceased, and soon claims that Miller had shot down several Japanese aircraft began to circulate. Miller himself told officials that he thought he had hit at least one of the enemy planes.

The service awarded Miller its Navy Cross for valor beyond his training and assignment in May 1942, and following a Christmas leave in December of that year, he was assigned to the aircraft carrier Liscome Bay as a cook, third class.

Miller’s ship was torpedoed and lost while engaged in action in the Gilbert Islands on November 24, 1943, and he was lost at sea. Miller has been honored by associating his name with various schools, veteran’s groups, and the destroyer escort USS Miller. And he is featured prominently in the historical display provided for visitors who await launches to visit the memorial above the USS Arizona to all who served at Pearl Harbor. ♥

[Archie P. McDonald was a professor of history at Stephen F. Austin State University until he retired in 2008. McDonald received a BS degree from Lamar University in Beaumont, a master's degree from Rice University in Houston, and a PhD from Louisiana State University. McDonald, the author of 13 books and numerous articles, served as executive director of the East Texas Historical Association (1971-2008) and, concurrently, as editor of the Association's East Texas Historical Journal.]

Copyright © 2005 All Things Historical — Archie P. McDonald

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