You have to wonder how much longer it will take for Trump to sign an Executive Order declaring our country is now TRUMPLand. For now he’s been settling for building ballrooms, arches and renaming stuff after himself. Now he wants an aircraft carrier to bear his vile name!
Trump decided to get involved in Naval Engineering and his heavy hand isn’t content with just that. If you’ve been paying attention Trump has ordered Ford Class carriers to abandon the newer and better Electromagnetic Launch Systems (EMAL) and go back to steam catapults. The Ford is already done and Trump can’t do anything about that one but the Navy is trying to head Trump off with retrofitting carriers not yet completed. It would cost countless billions for one thing. It would take us a step backwards. In any case the first three carriers in the new Ford Class are too far along to change back to steam. The fourth is early in construction so who knows what fireworks we’ll see as Trump demands STEAM and the Navy tries to stave off his idiocy.
Regarding that fourth Ford Class carrier, Trump won’t just be demanding it by god use steam catapults, he wants it renamed. The thing is, CVN81 already has been formally named – the USS Doris Miller. It’s the first named for an enlisted sailor. Trump doesn’t respect officers so the thought of honoring an enlisted guy is something he can’t handle. Worse as far as stone cold racist Trump is concerned is that that enlisted guy was a BLACK sailor. That has to offend Trump in ways even Shakespeare couldn’t put into words. However, as we learn from different sources including Military.com it’s now known that for some time this year Team Trump has been looking to rename what’s already been designated the USS Doris Miller (CVN81). Naturally Trump has a new name already picked out. HIS:
The Navy is reportedly working to rename an aircraft carrier under construction that was set to honor a Black sailor celebrated for his heroism at Pearl Harbor, with President Donald Trump’s name among those discussed as a replacement, according to CNN.
Three people familiar with the internal discussions told the network that the Navy is moving to rename the future USS Doris Miller in honor a Pearl Harbor hero and the first African-American recipient of the Navy Cross. Two sources indicated internal conversations about renaming the ship to honor Trump, though CNN reported that it remains unclear what the Navy intends to call it.
That Trump is serious about changing the name of the ship is apparent. Currently the ship is now being referred to only by its hull number CVN81. For years CVN81 has been referred to as the Doris Miller. Hell, there have been ceremonies including member of his descended family attending the official ‘First Cut of Steel’ for example. But this is the Trump administration we’re talking about. It just kills him that there’s a ship named for his nemesis John McCain (how long until Trump orders THAT changed?) and like I said Trump has become obsessed with seeing his name on everything. But changing the name of a ship? Be careful Trumpty. It’s considered bad luck on the order of killing an albatross to change the name of a ship. However Trump (Hegseth too) will fight to his last nasty breath to keep an aircraft carrier from being ‘named for a N!@@er.’ For those offended by that you know damn well that’s exactly how Trump thinks and that he’s said it out loud.
The fact Trump is (like his ancestors) a draft dodging coward and Miller was an actual hero hurts Trump’s ego beyond our imagination. Trump once said his personal Vietnam was avoiding STDs on the New York City party scene. Miller on the other hand stepped up and stood into danger when it mattered most – displaying true heroism while under enemy attack. Let’s take a look at Doris ‘Dorrie’ Miller.’ From Military.com:
Doris Miller was a mess attendant, one of the few roles open to Black sailors in the era’s segregated Navy.
He was also the son of a sharecropper from Waco, Texas. After enlisting in 1939, he served aboard the battleship USS West Virginia when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
During the attack, Miller carried wounded sailors to safety and manned a .50-caliber antiaircraft gun he had never been trained to use, firing until the ammunition ran out. Adm. Chester Nimitz awarded him the Navy Cross in 1942, making him the first African American to receive the decoration.
Tragically, Miller was killed in November 1943 – the escort carrier he was serving aboard, the USS Liscome Bay, was sunk by a Japanese torpedo attack during the Battle of Makin in the Gilbert Islands. (Over 700 of it’s crew was killed) Doris Miller served with distinction and a long campaign began to get a ship named after him. That eventually led to then Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly naming the carrier in his honor on MLK day in 2020. It was the first aircraft carrier named for an African American and the first named for an enlisted sailor.
I’ll be honest. While I truly believe Miller deserves to have a ship named after him I think of Naval Aviation and those who have never been honored this way. Admiral Bull Halsey jumps to mind. Starting when he took over the Naval forces at Guadalcanal his leadership and spirit turned the tide of what everyone assumed was a lost battle. And Halsey’s leadership didn’t stop there. His leadership of his task force was crucial to winning the war in the Pacific and those on the ships under his command would have sailed into the gates of Hell if “Bull” said to do so. Or how about Ray Spruance? When a medical problem ‘beached’ Halsey and kept him from running the show at the critical Battle of Midway he didn’t hesitate in telling Nimitz that Ray Spruance who’d never served on a carrier take over. Spruance was not only a quick study but led carrier forces with great distinction for the rest of the war. If the aviators had doubts prior to the actual Battle of Midway they never did again. I’m also all for a USS Carter but think it should be a submarine, and ideally the first of a new class since during his time in the Navy Carter played a big role in developing the first new class of nuclear powered subs.
In any case it was decided years ago the fourth Ford Class carrier would be named for Miller. And he DOES deserve the honor of having a ship named for him. Even Team Trump is sensitive to what Trump wants them to do. Per the linked article they are trying to come up with a trade-off:
The effort to rename the ship has been underway since earlier this year, the sources told CNN.
Instead, the Navy is looking to name a different vessel after Miller and is recommending him for the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military award—according to one source.
Actually Miller was recommended for the Medal of Honor after Pearl Harbor and Nimitz was for it. Back then however a black man, an enlisted one at that simply wasn’t going to be allowed our nation’s highest decoration. Even the Navy Cross that Miller was awarded offended countless people’s sensibilities. Also, IF Miller’s Navy Cross were to be upgraded to the Medal of Honor ten bucks says Trump will be playing golf rather than present it to Miller’s family himself.
Once again I can’t help but think of what a f**king coward Trump has been his entire life. Just like his father and grandfather. And his sons. NO member of the Trump family including on his mother’s side has served a single day in uniform either in the U.S. or their home countries going back generations. And TRUMP want to strip the honor Miller earned and have HIS name slapped on the ship instead? I mentioned changing the name of a ship is bad luck. Maybe you believe in superstition or maybe you don’t.
However if Trump’s gambit is successful I hope superstition manifests into reality. If CVN81 does in fact become the USS Trump my hope is that while being towed to a fitting out berth (IOW when few people will be on it and can easily escape) a huge section of hull, built to specs like Trump would use for one of his own projects scrapes against the side of the channel and comes off – and the whole damned thing sinks! That would be some years off so unfortunately Trump probably wouldn’t be alive to see it but it would be funny as hell. Kind of like Kim Jong IL watching that ship launched sideways and the whole thing turning into a cluster f**k.
For now I’m waiting to hear Mark Kelly, Senator, former astronaut and before that career Naval Aviator (complete with combat experience) start trashing Trump for wanting to rename the Miller.
Denis, so glad you handled this. I was looking at it and didn’t think I could do it justice.
I’m also glad you explained about other people who deserve to have a ship named after them.
I am *FURIOUS* about Baby Donnie trying to change the name. I call bullsh!t! Trump doesn’t deserve anything like this. Maybe a rowboat, which will promptly sink.
And yes, I know, preaching to the choir, right?
If Drumpf wants a ship named after his lardness, then he can use some of that money he’s grifted over the years and buy one (or have one built) for his own use.
In general, though, we need to ban naming any ship after anyone who didn’t actually serve (preferably in the Navy, but any branch would work provided they’re worthy of the honor) and that includes Presidents and other politicians (I suppose a member of Congress who didn’t have a real military background but had a real track record of supporting the military beyond “thanks for your service but you don’t really need that 0.00001% cost of living increase or better housing but we do really need that $200 billion weapons system that’ll take 25 years to deliver its one and only weapon before it’s obsolete”).
If this actually happens then we ALL have a duty to make USS BoneSpurs go viral!
I can’t take credit – I saw a retired General on MS NOW toss that out. Hell, maybe we can stop this travesty by promoting the name USS Bonespurs starting right now!
Surely the Navy has unnamed pedallos that can be brought into service, even a fleet for naming after the current Cabinet/Defense Department appointees?