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UPI
a day ago
- Politics
- UPI
Hegseth: USNS Havey Milk to be renamed USNS Oscar V. Peterson
1 of 5 | Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday, the USNS Harvey Milk will be re-named the USNS Oscar V. Peterson, adding the Defense Department is "taking the politics out of ship naming.' File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 27 (UPI) -- The USNS Harvey Milk is being renamed after Oscar V. Peterson, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Friday. "I am pleased to announce that the United States Navy is renaming the USNS Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson," Hegseth said on X, in a post accompanied by a video. "We are taking the politics out of ship naming. We're not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration," Hegseth said in the video Friday. Peterson received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service in World War II, after the Navy chief petty officer was wounded in battle. "During the Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942, Chief Watertender Peterson led a repair party on the USS Neosho. The ship was severely damaged by Japanese dive bombers, and the entire repair party was either killed or severely wounded," Hegseth said Friday. "Peterson himself was gravely wounded, yet he managed to single-handedly close the bulkhead stop valves, thereby helping to keep the ship operational." Hegseth previously confirmed he had ordered the U.S. Navy to rename the replenishment oiler, which bears the name of Milk, a gay rights activist assassinated in 1978. The Defense Secretary at the time said the move was being made to align "with president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of re-establishing the warrior culture." A Defense Department official said at the time the renaming was intentionally done during Pride month. Milk won a San Francisco supervisor seat in 1977. The U.S. Navy veteran served in the Korean War and became the first openly gay person in the country to be elected to public office. His name has remained synonymous with the LGBTQ movement. Milk was assassinated the year after taking office and was in 2009 posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. The decision to remove his name from one of the six John Lewis Class ships was met with protest from Democrats. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., at the time called the decision "shameful." Pelosi's Congressional District includes San Francisco. The ship was first named after Milk in 2016, becoming the first naval vessel named after an openly-gay person. It was launched in 2021.
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Hegseth unveils new name of USNS Harvey Milk
The US Navy has officially changed the name of its ship honoring slain gay-rights icon Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson in commemoration of the WWII Medal of Honor recipient. 'We are taking the politics out of ship naming. We're not renaming the ship to anything political, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a video address. 'This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration. 'Instead, we're renaming the ship after a United States Navy Congressional Medal of Honor recipient — as it should be,' he said. 'People want to be proud of the ship they're sailing in, and so we're renaming it after a Navy chief.' 4 Oscar V. Peterson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic acts in WWII. USN The USNS Oscar V. Peterson is a replenishment oiler that provides support to carrier strike groups at sea. It was christened in 2021 under the Biden administration for Milk, who served as a sailor during the Korean War but was forced out of the Navy for being gay. 4 Gay-rights icon Harvey Milk served in the US Navy during the Korean War. USN Milk became one of the first openly gay elected officials in American history when he successfully ran to serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were both assassinated in 1978 by a disgruntled former city supervisor who opposed the gay-rights activist's push to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations, housing and employment. 4 The USNS Harvey Milk was christened and launched at a ceremony in San Diego in 2021. AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile, Chief Watertender Oscar V. Peterson was posthumously awarded the military's highest award for his service in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Peterson had led a repair party on the USS Neosho, which had been severely damaged by Japanese dive bombers during the attack. With nearly all of his repair party dead or wounded, Peterson, himself gravely wounded, mustered the strength to close the bulkhead stop valves, keeping the ship afloat. He suffered significant burns from his effort that led to his death days later. Peterson was awarded the medal of honor in December of that year. 4 Crewmembers of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force training vessel the JS Kashima wave toward the US Navy oiler during an exercise in the Virginia Capes in September. via REUTERS The decision to rename the ship notably comes at the end of Pride Month, where more LGBTQ festivities are expected in cities such as New York this weekend. Navy Secretary John Phelan issued a memo last month indicating that several ships' names would be reviewed for possible change to help in 'reestablishing the warrior culture' in the Navy. Ships named after judicial trailblazers, civil-rights icons and labor leaders are also on the renaming 'recommended list.' Those vessels reportedly include the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez and USNS Medgar Evers.
American Military News
a day ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Video: SECDEF Hegseth unveils new name for the USNS Harvey Milk
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson on Friday. By changing the ship's name to honor a U.S. Navy Congressional Medal of Honor recipient instead of a gay rights activist, Hegseth claimed the Trump administration is 'taking the politics out of ship naming.' In a video message shared Friday on X, formerly Twitter, Hegseth said, 'Well, I'm pleased to officially announce that the Department of the Navy is renaming the fleet replenishment oiler, formerly known as the USNS Harvey Milk, to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson.' 'We are taking the politics out of ship naming,' Hegseth added. 'We're not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration. Instead, we're renaming the ship after a United States Navy Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, as it should be.' In Friday's video message, the secretary of defense claimed that the USNS Harvey Milk was being renamed to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson in honor of a former Navy chief because 'people want to be proud of the ship they're sailing in.' READ MORE: SECDEF Hegseth orders Navy to rename ship named after gay rights activist: Report Hegseth explained that Peterson led a repair party on the USS Neosho during the Battle of Coral Sea in 1942. Hegseth noted that the USS Neosho was 'severely damaged by Japanese dive bombers,' and all the members of Peterson's repair party were severely wounded or killed. While Peterson was 'gravely wounded' in the battle, Hegseth said he was able to 'single-handedly' close the ship's bulkhead stop valves, which kept the ship operational during the battle. 'In performing his historic actions and heroic actions, Peterson received additional injuries and burns, which tragically resulted in his death, but his spirit of self-sacrifice and concern for his crew mates was in keeping with the finest traditions of the Navy, and for his heroic actions, Oscar Peterson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor,' Hegseth added. I am pleased to announce that the United States Navy is renaming the USNS Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. We are taking the politics out of ship naming. — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) June 27, 2025 Earlier this month, Hegseth ordered the U.S. Navy to change the name of the USNS Harvey Milk. According to CBS News, the ship was originally named after Harvey Milk under former President Barack Obama's administration in August of 2016. The outlet noted that Milk was a gay rights activist and the first openly gay official to be elected in California. Milk was assassinated in 1978. A memorandum obtained by explained that the ship's name change was part of the 'alignment with president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture.'
Politico
a day ago
- Politics
- Politico
Navy to officially rename vessel honoring gay rights activist Harvey Milk
The United States Navy is officially renaming a naval vessel named after gay rights activist Harvey Milk, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Friday. Hegseth, who had originally touted the name change earlier in June, said the decision is in order to 'take the politics out of ship naming' and comes as the Trump administration seeks to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives from the federal government and universities. 'This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration,' Hegseth said in the announcement, posted to X. 'Instead, we're renaming the ship after a United States Navy Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, as it should be.' The ship, a fleet replenishment oiler, will now be named after Oscar V. Peterson, a Navy chief who died after injuries sustained in a repair mission during World War II. Milk, the current namesake of the ship, served in the Navy before he began his political career. POLITICO previously reported that the Pentagon could rename other ships honoring civil rights leaders and prominent women, though Hegseth did not mention these ships in his announcement.
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Hegseth reveals new name for USNS Harvey Milk
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the USNS Harvey Milk will be renamed in honor of a decorated Navy chief petty officer. The fleet replenishment oiler will now be called the USNS Oscar V. Peterson, Hegseth announced, lauding the World War II veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. 'During the Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942, Chief Watertender Peterson led a repair party on the USS Neosho. The ship was severely damaged by Japanese dive bombers, and the entire repair party was either killed or severely wounded,' the Defense secretary said, praising the Navy officer for his spirit of 'self-sacrifice.' 'Peterson himself was gravely wounded, yet he managed to single-handedly close the bulkhead stop valves, thereby helping to keep the ship operational,' Hegseth added. Hegseth in a video posted online declared the Department of Defense is 'taking the politics out of ship-naming' after earlier this month ordering Milk's name removed from the ship. Democrats have broadly criticized the administration removing the gay rights activist's name. The decision followed President Trump's January executive order issuing guidelines banning gender identity and expanded pronoun usage from military service. The ship was named after Milk, who had served in the naval branch, in 2016 by then-President Obama's Navy secretary. 'We are taking the politics out of ship-naming. We're not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration,' Hegseth said Friday. Hegseth is also considering renaming the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez and USNS Medgar Evers, according to CBS.
