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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the new name for the naval ship USNS Harvey Milk will be the USNS Oscar V. Peterson.
"We are taking the politics out of ship naming," Hegseth said in a statement to officially announce the name change.
Why It Matters
Hegseth has vowed to uproot what he has characterized as the woke agenda from the military, restoring what he has called the "warrior ethos" and renaming the USNS Harvey Milk is part of that broader drive.
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Harvey Milk was California's first openly gay politician and the ship, a fleet replenishment oiler, was originally named in his honor in 2016 under the Obama Administration.
He had served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War but had to leave the service due to his sexuality or face court-martial, before embarking on a career in politics and civil rights activism.
Oscar Peterson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his WWII service in the U.S. Navy, having died of his wounds during a battle after an act of self-sacrifice that saved other lives.
"We're not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration," Hegseth said. "Instead, we're renaming the ship after a United States Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, as it should be. People want to be proud of the ship they're sailing in."
Who Is Oscar V. Peterson?
Oscar Verner Peterson from Prentice, Wisconsin, was serving as chief watertender on the U.S.S. Neosho when it came under air attack by the Japanese in the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 7, 1942, during WWII.
Peterson died as a result of the battle and was buried at sea. But he later received the Medal of Honor "for extraordinary courage and conspicuous heroism above and beyond the call of duty while in charge of a repair party" during the attack, his citation says.
"Lacking assistance because of injuries to the other members of his repair party and severely wounded himself, Peterson, with no concern for his own life, closed the bulkhead stop valves and in so doing received additional burns which resulted in his death," it says.
"His spirit of self-sacrifice and loyalty, characteristic of a fine seaman, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country."
Peterson was 42 years old and left behind a wife and two sons.
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Who Is Harvey Milk?
Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States and a pioneering figure in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. He served for four years in the Navy during the Korean War, before he was forced out for being gay.
In 1977, Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man elected to public office in California.
He championed civil rights legislation and LGBTQ+ advocacy during his brief but impactful time in office. Milk was assassinated in November 1978, just 11 months into his term, aged 48.
In recognition of his legacy, the U.S. Navy named a ship—the USNS Harvey Milk—in his honor in 2016. He was also posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by then-President Barack Obama for his contributions to equality and human rights.
What People Are Saying
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on June 3: "Erasing Harvey Milk's name is disgusting, blatant discrimination—and during Pride Month to boot. He served the U.S. Navy and his country honorably, and he was assassinated while serving the public and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. Hegseth should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately."
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said in a statement earlier this month: "The reported decision by the Trump Administration to change the names of the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships in the John Lewis-class is a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American dream. Our military is the most powerful in the world—but this spiteful move does not strengthen our national security or the "warrior" ethos. Instead, it is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country."
Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement to Newsweek earlier this month: "Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD [Department of Defense] installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief's priorities, our nation's history, and the warrior ethos. Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete."
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