USNS Harvey Milk Renamed to Honor WWII Hero Oscar V. Peterson
The USNS Harvey Milk will be renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Oscar V. Peterson, reflecting a shift in Pentagon naming policies.
Overview
The USNS Harvey Milk, named after a gay rights activist, will be renamed to honor WWII sailor Oscar V. Peterson.
Peterson, a Navy Chief Petty Officer, served on the USS Neosho during WWII and received the Medal of Honor posthumously.
The renaming is part of a broader Pentagon initiative to reassess naming conventions amid debates over diversity and inclusion.
Peterson's bravery during a Japanese attack in the Philippines in 1942 solidified his legacy as a heroic figure in military history.
The decision to rename the ship has sparked discussions about the intersection of military honor and contemporary social issues.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk as a politically charged decision, emphasizing Hegseth's claims of depoliticizing the process. They highlight the timing during Pride Month, suggesting a reaction against perceived diversity initiatives, while contrasting the historical significance of both Milk and Peterson.
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FAQ
Oscar V. Peterson was a Navy Chief Petty Officer who served on the USS Neosho during World War II and received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his bravery during a Japanese attack in the Philippines in 1942. The USNS Harvey Milk is being renamed to honor Peterson's heroic legacy as part of a Pentagon initiative to focus military ship naming on historical military figures rather than political or social activism.
The ship was originally named USNS Harvey Milk in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus as part of a commitment to name the John Lewis-class oilers after civil and human rights icons. Harvey Milk was a gay rights activist and Navy veteran, symbolizing diversity and inclusion.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the renaming was to 'take the politics out of ship naming,' emphasizing that people should be proud of the ships they serve on. He criticized previous administration's naming decisions as political activism and framed the renaming as a move to depoliticize the process.
During a Japanese attack on the USS Neosho in May 1942, Peterson, despite being injured and burned, led a repair party and saved the ship by closing its bulkhead stop valves, actions that ultimately cost him his life but preserved the ship and crew.
The renaming has sparked discussions about the balance between honoring military valor and the role of contemporary social issues such as diversity and inclusion in military traditions and ship naming conventions.
History
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