Pete Hegseth announces dramatic name change for USNS Harvey Milk

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a change in the naval ship naming convention, stating that the USNS Harvey Milk will now be known as the USNS Oscar V. Peterson.

"We are taking the politics out of ship naming," Hegseth declared in a statement. The decision to rename the fleet replenishment oiler, originally named to honor California's first openly gay elected official, is part of Hegseth's commitment to eliminate what he calls the woke agenda from the military. It comes as new Donald Trump health fears erupted following a disturbing Air Force One video.

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"We're not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration," he emphasized. Harvey Milk, who was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 and assassinated a year later, became an iconic figure for the LGBTQ+ community, with his life and legacy depicted in the acclaimed film Milk.

Hegseth explained the new name honors a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, reflecting a desire for service members to take pride in their vessels. Renaming ships after construction and christening is rare and often seen as a breach of naval tradition.

On May 7, 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea at around 11:15 am, the USS Neosho (AO-23) was attacked by D3A Val dive bombers and sustained heavy damage.

Peterson was gravely injured in the incident. Despite his wounds, he took charge of a repair party and managed to close the bulkhead stop valves, suffering severe burns but preventing the ship from sinking.

Thanks to the heroic efforts of the ship's repair party, the oiler remained afloat. Chief Water Tender Oscar V. Peterson, despite being wounded, managed to close the bulkhead stop valves, receiving additional burns but saving the drifting ship. On May 11, 1942, the surviving crew members, including Peterson, were rescued by USS Henley.

The USS Neosho was then scuttled with gunfire late at night. Tragically, on May 13, 1942, Peterson succumbed to his injuries.

Harvey Milk himself was once a Navy diving instructor in San Diego, and his connection to the armed forces was an extensive topic when the ship was christened in 2021. Some called the naming a progressive move after the Navy initially forced Milk to resign, while others pointed out that Milk was an anti-war activist and may not have appreciated the action.

Either way, those arguments are now void in the wake of Trump's recent moves to chip away at a public LGBTQ+ presence, in the federal government at least.

Transgender service members faced a deadline to leave the U.S. military, with hundreds taking the financial bonus to depart voluntarily. But others said they will stay and fight.

For many, it is a wrenching decision to end a career they love, and leave units they have led or worked with for years. And they are angry they are being forced out by the Trump administration’s renewed ban on transgender troops.