On December 7, 1941, hundreds of fighter planes descended on Pearl Harbour, a naval base near the Hawaiian capital of Honolulu. Killing over 2,400 Americans, it was to be the act of aggression that propelled the United States into the Second World War. “Dorie” Miller was a Messman Third Class aboard the West Virginia when the first torpedo tore through the ship. He was ordered to man an anti-aircraft gun, with which he had no experience, and fired at the enemy until he ran out of ammunition. In the thick of enemy fire, he helped move his mortally wounded captain and saved countless lives by assisting injured sailors to safety. Miller was the first African-American to be awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery.