Secret military plans to rebrand America's Navy ships are revealed
The military is quietly considering a plan to rename a handful of American Navy ships that honored the legacy of icons in the gay rights and civil rights movements.
The USNS Harvey Milk, named after a gay rights activist and Navy veteran, is one of the ships in which a change of name is being discussed.
Internal US Navy documents seen by CBS News exposed the plans, which have been described as 'shameful and vindictive' by Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
'To change the names of the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships in the John Lewis-class is a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream,' she said.
'Our military is the most powerful in the world – but this spiteful move does not strengthen our national security or the 'warrior' ethos.
'Instead, it is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country.'
While the USNS Harvey Milk is the ship most at risk, several others have been placed on a 'recommended list' of name changes, the documents reveal.
The USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which is currently under construction and named after the iconic late Supreme Court justice, has also been flagged.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 'is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief's priorities, our nation's history, and the warrior ethos'
The USNS Harvey Milk, named after a gay rights activist and Navy veteran, is one of the ships in which a change of name is being discussed
The USNS Thurgood Marshall, named after tthe Supreme Court's first African-American justice, is on the list, as is the USNS Dolores Huerta, honoring the late labor movement leader.
USNS Cesar Chavez, named after Huerta's close associate and fellow labor leader, and the USNS Medgar Evers, for the African American civil rights activist, are also on the list.
Rounding out the recommendations are USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Lucy Stone, named in honor of the slave-turned-activist Tubman, and suffragist Stone, who was the first woman in Massachusetts to earn a college degree.
The documents describing these proposed changes were marked with a 'CAUTION' note suggesting they would be publicly sensitive.
They asked Navy Secretary John Phelan to choose a new name for the USNS Harvey Milk on Tuesday, with a memo to be sent to other senior Navy officials later in the week following a legal review.
The reasoning for the change was listed as realigning the US military with the Trump administration's priority of 'reestablishing warrior culture.'
The USNS Medgar Evers, for the African American civil rights activist, is also on the list
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, told CBS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 'is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief's priorities, our nation's history, and the warrior ethos.'
The decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk coincides with Pride Month, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
Harvey Milk was one of America's first openly gay elected officials, serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors after years of activism in the LGBTQ sphere.
He was assassinated one year into his term, alongside Mayor George Moscone.
Milk had served in the Navy from 1952 to 1954, but was ordered to face a court martial for participating in a 'homosexual act.'
In January 1954, he resigned and was handed an 'Other Than Honorable' discharge. In 2021, the USNS Harvey Milk was christened in his honor.
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