U.S. Navy Renames Ship Honouring Gay Rights Activist Harvey Milk

The U.S. Navy has officially renamed the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk (TAO-206) to USNS Oscar V. Peterson (TAO-206), following an order from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The announcement was made in a video posted Friday morning on the social media platform X.

Oscar V. Peterson, a chief watertender in the U.S. Navy during World War II, received the Medal of Honour posthumously for his heroic actions during the Battle of the Coral Sea. He was wounded but continued to operate fuel valves aboard the USS Neosho to prevent further damage, ultimately sacrificing his life.

The decision to rename the ship comes after a Pentagon-led review of naval vessels named after civil rights leaders. A senior defense official said the review followed the Trump administration’s plan to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from federal departments. During the review, the USNS Harvey Milk was seen as a likely ship to be renamed.

A memo reviewed by USNI News said the Navy planned the name change to bring back a “warrior culture.” It also mentioned the importance of protecting the Secretary of the Navy’s Title 10 authority over ship naming.

A defense official confirmed that Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan carried out the renaming on June 26, 2025, at the direction of Secretary Hegseth. The official also said that the transition would involve repainting, updating ship markings, and procuring new branded materials.

Based on the Navy’s usual maintenance and logistics timeline, those changes are expected to be completed within six months after funding becomes available.

The ship is currently docked at Alabama Shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, for routine maintenance. Officials said this would help ease the logistical changes required to carry out the name update.

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. pic.twitter.com/2ypwAQGdAl

— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) June 27, 2025

Secretary Hegseth, in his video message, said that the change is part of an effort to move away from what he described as political ship naming. He said the Pentagon under the Trump administration does not support naming Navy ships after activists, unlike past administrations. He added that military personnel should feel pride in the names of the ships they serve on.

USNS Harvey Milk was named in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. Milk was a Navy veteran and the first openly gay elected official in California. He was assassinated in 1978. His name was part of a plan to name John Lewis-class oilers after civil rights leaders like Rep. John Lewis.

The Navy confirmed that there are no plans to rename other ships in the John Lewis-class at this time.

References: USNI, nytimes

Source: Maritime Shipping News