Latest news with #USNS
Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Taking politics out': Pete Hegseth rechristens US Navy ship named after gay rights leader; gives it World War II sailor's name
Pete Hegseth US defense secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday (local time) announced the new name - USNS Oscar V Peterson - of USNS Harvey Milk, days after he directed the United States Navy to rename the ship. "We are taking the politics out of ship naming," he wrote on X along with a video announcing the move. The "politics" Hegseth referred to is that the ship's previous name was a tribute to Harvey Milk, a politician and gay rights activist. Milk, who served four years in the Navy in the Korean War but left due to his sexuality, later became California's first openly homosexual politician. In November 1978, aged 48, he was shot and killed inside San Francisco city hall by Dan White, a former San Francisco supervisor. He was also the subject of the 2008 critically-acclaimed biopic "Milk." On the other hand, Oscar V Peterson spent 20 years in the Navy and was killed during a World War II battle, in an act of self-sacrifice which saved lives. Peterson received a posthumous Medal of Honor for his act of bravery. USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet replenishment oiler, was originally named in 2016 under then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Its name-change comes amid a push from Hegseth to remove DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) and "woke" policies from the department of defense, which he leads in the administration of Donald Trump, a Republican. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo When the move was first reported earlier this month, Rep Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, called it a "shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream." "As the rest of us are celebrating the joy of Pride Month, it is my hope that the Navy will reconsider this egregious decision," Pelosi's statement read.
San Francisco Chronicle
9 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Harvey Milk name erased from Navy ship during Pride Month
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the U.S. Navy has renamed a ship honoring slain gay rights icon Harvey Milk, replacing it with the name of a World War II hero. The decision, which critics called politically motivated and timed to Pride Month, marks a stark reversal in the Navy's recent approach to commemorating civil rights leaders. The fleet oiler, formerly known as the USNS Harvey Milk, will now bear the name of Oscar V. Peterson, a Medal of Honor recipient who died saving his ship, the USS Neosho, during a 1942 Japanese attack. 'We are taking the politics out of ship naming,' Hegseth said in a video posted to X. 'People want to be proud of the ship they're sailing in.' 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 The ship was christened in 2021 under a policy from the Obama-era Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to name oilers after civil and human rights champions. Milk, a Navy veteran who was forced to accept an 'other than honorable' discharge due to his sexuality, later became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S. before his assassination in 1978. An internal Navy memo revealed that the renaming aligns with President Donald Trump's and Hegseth's goals to 're-establish the warrior culture.' The timing — days after WorldPride celebrations in Washington, D.C. — has drawn intense backlash. 'The removal of Harvey Milk's name from a naval vessel — during Pride Month, no less — is absolutely shameful,' state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said in a statement when the news of the name change first emerged this month. 'Brave LGBTQ veterans worked for years to achieve the naming of a ship for Harvey. Now Trump and Hegseth are wiping it away due to straight-up bigotry.' The USNS Harvey Milk is one of 17 vessels built to honor civil rights heroes, including civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.; Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; women's rights activist Lucy Stone and abolitionist Sojourner Truth. 'Donald Trump's assault on veterans has hit a new low.' California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on social media this month. 'Harvey Milk wasn't just a civil rights icon — he was a Korean War combat veteran whose commander called him 'outstanding.' Stripping his name from a Navy ship won't erase his legacy as an American icon, but it does reveal Trump's contempt for the very values our veterans fight to protect.'
CNN
14 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Hegseth announces new name for US Navy ship that was named after gay rights activist
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the USNS Harvey Milk is being renamed to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. During Pride Month in June, he ordered the stripping of the name Harvey Milk who was a gay rights activist and Navy veteran.
CNN
14 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Hegseth announces new name for US Navy ship that was named after gay rights activist
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the USNS Harvey Milk is being renamed to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. During Pride Month in June, he ordered the stripping of the name Harvey Milk who was a gay rights activist and Navy veteran.
Boston Globe
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
USNS Harvey Milk is renamed after a WWII sailor in the latest Pentagon diversity purge
The decision is the latest move by Hegseth to wipe away names of ships and military bases that were given by President Joe Biden's Democratic administration, which in many cases chose to honor service members who were women, minorities, from the LBGTQ community and more. Advertisement It follows earlier actions by Hegseth and President Donald Trump, a Republican, to purge all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion in the military and elsewhere. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Hegseth's announcement comes during Pride Month — the same timing as the Pentagon's campaign to force transgender troops out of the U.S. military. 'We're not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists,' said Hegseth, who earlier this month ordered Navy Secretary John Phelan to put together a small team to rename the USNS Harvey Milk replenishment oiler. He said Peterson's 'spirit of self-sacrifice and concern for his crewmates was in keeping with the finest traditions of the Navy.' Advertisement When Hegseth announced the decision to rename the ship, officials defended it as an effort to align with Trump and Hegseth's objectives to 're-establish the warrior culture.' Peterson served on the USS Neosho, which also was an oiler. The ship was damaged during the Battle of the Coral Sea, and even though Peterson was injured, he managed to close the bulkhead stop valves to keep the ship operational. He died of his wounds. The Navy in 1943 named an escort ship after Peterson. The USS Peterson served for more than two decades and was decommissioned in June 1965. The USNS Harvey Milk was named in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who said at the time that the John Lewis-class of oilers would be named after leaders who fought for civil and human rights. Harvey Milk, who was portrayed by Sean Penn in an Oscar-winning 2008 movie, served for four years in the Navy before he was forced out for being gay. He later became one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office, in San Francisco. He was assassinated in 1978 by a disgruntled former city supervisor.
