2020: The Navy names CVN-81 for Dorie Miller
On January 20, 2020, Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly named the future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) during a ceremony at Pearl Harbor. The Navy said it would be the first aircraft carrier named for an African American and the first named for a Sailor honored for actions while serving in the enlisted ranks.
2026: Reports say the name may change
In August 2026, news reports citing sources familiar with Navy discussions said officials were weighing a change to the carrier’s name. President Donald Trump has been discussed as a possible namesake. The Navy has not publicly announced a final renaming decision, and the Defense Department has said it has nothing to announce at this time.
This site therefore describes the situation as a potential renaming. It does not claim that a final decision has been made or that President Trump personally ordered the name changed.
The Trump context
At a White House event on February 27, 2020, President Trump praised the Navy’s decision to name CVN-81 for Dorie Miller. During the exchange, he remarked, “They won't give me that honor. That's a big ship,” and later responded, “One day, maybe.”
That exchange is relevant now because Trump’s name is reportedly among those discussed for CVN-81. It does not establish that President Trump requested, directed, or approved any current effort to rename the carrier.
Source: official White House transcript, February 27, 2020.
Another ship and a Medal of Honor
Recent reporting also says the Navy is considering naming a different warship for Miller and that Miller is under consideration for a posthumous upgrade of his Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor? You bet!!
Another ship instead? No. This is his ship.
NoStolenValor.com strongly supports appropriate additional recognition for Dorie Miller, including a Medal of Honor upgrade if approved through the proper process.
If the Navy someday wants to name another ship for him too, wonderful. But another ship should never substitute for the historic aircraft-carrier honor already bestowed.
Honor him more. Don’t replace him. Keep CVN-81 named USS Doris Miller.
Why the carrier matters
The carrier naming was not simply another ship name. The Navy itself emphasized its historic character when it announced the decision in 2020. Replacing that name would diminish a specific honor already publicly bestowed upon Miller and his legacy.
What “No Stolen Valor” means here
NoStolenValor.com uses the phrase “No Stolen Valor” as civic and political commentary concerning the potential removal or diminishment of a military honor already bestowed upon Dorie Miller. It does not allege false claims of military service, decorations, or awards.