Defense Secretary Announces Name Change for Navy Vessel

Defense Secretary Pete Hegses shared on Friday that a Navy refueling vessel has been renamed, moving away from honoring previously recognized gay rights activists to instead pay tribute to a World War II hero.

In his post on X, Hegses announced that the USNS Harvey Milk is now the USNS Oscar V. Peterson, recognizing Peterson who earned the Medal of Honor for his valor during World War II. Hegses stated, “We’re removing politics from the naming of ships. We haven’t renamed the ship to anything political. Unlike the previous administration, this is not about political activists. Instead, we’re changing the name of the ship after receiving the U.S. Navy Congress’ Honorary Award.” This change follows discussions about the appropriateness of the vessel’s previous name, which had drawn some criticism.

The USNS Harvey Milk first adopted its name in August 2016 during the Obama administration. Harvey Milk, who served as a naval officer and diving officer from 1951 to 1955, is well-known for being the first openly gay person to hold public office in California. Milk was killed in 1978 by Dan White, a rival at San Francisco City Hall, and remains a respected figure in the LGBT community.

The Pentagon has indicated that the name change process might take up to six months. A US official mentioned, “There was a review of all installations and assets that were implemented to reflect the Chief’s priorities, the history of the nation, and the commander in the warrior spirit. We have no plans to change the names of other vessels of this class.”