Latest news with #WWIIMedalofHonor
New York Post
3 days 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.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Punahou School honors legacy of WWII captain killed in action
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Punahou School honored one of their former students, a WWII Medal of Honor Recipient, on what would be his 108th birthday. The honoree, Capt. Francis Wai, lost his life 81 years ago during the Battle of Leyte on San Pedro Beach in the Philippines. Dave & Buster's makes Grand Opening Debut at new location 'The soldiers were stuck on the beach getting shot at by the Japanese,' said Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee. 'Nobody was in charge. So Capt. Wai, not his unit, took charge of all the soldiers. With his courage and cool demeanor, the soldiers followed him and they wiped out the Japanese emplacements. But unfortunately, the last Japanese emplacement killed Capt. Wai.' In Wai's honor, Punahou looked to celebrate his life and heroic sacrifice, not just to make good on his legacy, but to inspire their students to aid their communities and more broadly, the world. '[Wai] had a chance to serve a broader community. We always want our students to think about serving those beyond themselves,' said Dr. Mike Latham, Punahou School president. 'A lot of times that means serving people who you will never meet, who may be very different than you. But that's what American democracy is about.'Initially, the then-Department of War posthumously awarded Wai with the Distinguished Service Cross. Years later however, the now-Department of Defense investigated possible racism in the recognition processes of WWII servicemembers. As a result, Wai's award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Wai's brother, Robert, was able to accept his Medal of Honor on the captain's behalf in 2000 from then-President Bill Clinton. 'I think one of the big lessons Uncle Francis seemed to teach us was taking care of each other,' said the serviceman's nephew, Robert Wai, Jr. 'We have a great family. We love each other. We support each other. It's all that we do.' The original medal was donated to the Hawaii Army Museum, with the Wai family receiving a second medal to keep as a reminder of the service and sacrifice of Wai and his family. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
