Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the Navy will rename a supply ship currently honoring a gay rights icon to instead commemorate a World War II Medal of Honor recipient.
The vessel, formerly known as the USNS Harvey Milk, will be renamed the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. Hegseth said the move reflects a return to honoring military heroes rather than political figures.
“We are taking the politics out of ship-naming,” Hegseth declared. “This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration. It’s about honoring valor.”
Chief Watertender Oscar V. Peterson earned the nation’s highest military honor for heroism during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. Despite being gravely wounded, Peterson closed critical valves to keep his ship from sinking.
He suffered horrific third-degree burns to his face and upper body but still carried out his duty. Peterson died six days later and was buried at sea. He left behind a wife and two sons.
“For his heroic actions, Oscar Peterson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor,” Hegseth said. “His self-sacrifice embodies the finest traditions of the Navy.”
The ship originally bore the name of Harvey Milk, a gay San Francisco politician and civil rights activist. The Obama-era decision was part of a series of ship namings honoring progressive icons.
Hegseth made it clear: “We want our sailors to be proud of the ships they serve on. Naming a Navy ship after a true wartime hero like Peterson is the right thing to do.”