A Hero.

I'm definitely planning to focus this blog back to it's original intentions--history. I just watched the movie Pearl Harbor and despite it's many historically inaccuracies, realized I am still very much in love with it.

The character I am most drawn to is based on a real man, Dorie Miller. He was an African American in the Navy during World War II, which meant his duties were kept to little more than a cook, actually less than a cook. He did laundry and cleaned up after others ate. He had never even fired a weapon. On the day of the attack, he took his place at an abandoned gun and shot down one of the Japanese Zeros. Only 29 Japanese Zeros were shot down on December 7; his was one of them. Pretty amazing.

He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. did an excellent job portraying him and paying homage to this unsung hero of World War II.