The US Navy will name its future Gerald R Ford-class aircraft carrier after World War II (WWII) hero Doris Miller.

Doris Miller was the Ship’s Cook, Third Class in WWII. He died aboard USS Liscome Bay (CVE 56) after a torpedo strike in 1943.

He was awarded the Navy Cross medal for his bravery aboard the USS West Virginia (BB-48) battleship during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Miller aided the mortally wounded commanding officer, manned a .50 calibre Browning anti-aircraft machine gun and helped other injured sailors.

The name will be announced today at the Martin Luther King Jr Day ceremony held in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

US Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said: “In selecting this name, we honour the contributions of all our enlisted ranks, past and present, men and women, of every race, religion and background.

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“Dr Martin Luther King Jr observed ‘everybody can be great because anybody can serve’. No one understands the importance and true meaning of service than those who have volunteered to put the needs of others above themselves.”

The future Ford-class carrier USS Doris Miller will be the second ship to be named in honour of Miller.

Molly added: “Doris Miller stood for everything good about our nation, and his story deserves to be remembered and repeated wherever our people continue the watch today.”

With a 50-year service life, the aircraft carrier will be used to provide forward presence, rapid response and multi-mission capability, as well as serve as a premier forward asset for crisis response and humanitarian relief, and early decisive striking power.