At breakfast time on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, Dorie Miller was serving coffee aboard the battleship West Virginia. Dorie was a Negro, and the highest job to which he could then aspire in the U.S Navy was that of messman. While Dorrie was technically a member of a great flight fleet, he was not expected to fight. Most Army and Navy officers inveighed against the Negro as a fighting man. Although Negroes were nettled by such overt prejudice, Dorie mess hall servant. Now, as he poured the coffee, Dorie was wondering why the airplanes above were making so much noise on a peaceful Sunday morning.
- aboard – dalam (kendaraan)
- aspire – bercita-cita, menginginkan
- mess – ruang makan
- messman – pengurus ruang makan
- fleet – armada kapal
- inveighed – menyerang dgn kata-kata tajam
- nettled – jengkel, luka hatinya
- overt – terang-terangan
- prejudice – prasangka
- mess hall – ruang makan