USNS Harvey Milk Rebranded as USNS Oscar V. Peterson: A Shift in Naval Naming Traditions

As reported by the U.S. Department of Defense, Secretary Pete Hegseth recently declared that the USNS Harvey Milk will be renamed to honor U.S. Navy Chief Watertender Oscar V. Peterson.This change is part of an initiative to remove political influences from naval ship naming conventions. The declaration comes during Pride Month and aligns with a broader military strategy aimed at reducing diversity and inclusion efforts within the armed forces.

Originally named after Harvey Milk, a trailblazing Navy veteran and one of America’s first openly gay elected officials, this vessel was honored in 2016 for his contributions to civil rights. however, hegseth’s directive earlier this month prompted the renaming of this John Lewis-class fleet oiler delivered in 2023.

The USNS harvey Milk is designed for essential at-sea replenishment missions, measuring 742 feet long and capable of carrying around 157,000 barrels of oil along with various supplies like diesel fuel and lubricants for other naval ships operating in open waters.

General Dynamics NASSCO has been instrumental in constructing these vessels; they currently have contracts for seventeen out of twenty planned ships under this program—an agreement that was expanded last September with a potential value exceeding $6.7 billion.

Traditionally, John Lewis-class ships are named after prominent figures in civil rights history; alongside the USNS John Lewis itself are vessels like the USNS Earl Warren and USNS Robert F. Kennedy.

Oscar V. Peterson’s legacy is particularly noteworthy; he received a posthumous Medal of Honor for his bravery during World War II when he led a repair team on board the USS Neosho amid a Japanese air raid on May 7, 1942. Despite suffering severe injuries during the attack, Peterson made heroic efforts to secure critical systems before ultimately sacrificing his life—a testament to what it means to serve honorably in the Navy.

while some may view these changes as politically motivated or controversial given their timing with Pride Month celebrations, others see them as necessary steps toward redefining how we commemorate service members within our military history.