Mess attendant Doris Miller really did take down several Japanese planes at Pearl Harbor

While this film does a few things right and a lot of things wrong, this big moment did happen. Miller was below decks, doing laundry when the attack happened, so he ran to help. He ended up carrying several men to safety, commandeered an unattended gun, and took down several planes.

He was also one of the last men to leave his ship as it sank, helping several other sailors swim to shore.