4 days ago
The Secretary of Defense wants to change a ship's name. Here are the untold perils of renaming a vessel
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly intends to change a ship's name, specifically the oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk. While that might please some supporters of the Trump Administration, it might rankle the most critical constituency afloat: the U.S. Navy's sailors.
It's essential to recognize that there is no more superstitious group of people on the planet than sailors. If you don't believe me, ask the Navy why it hasn't had a ship named 'USS United States' since 1797.
Red skies at night are a sailor's delight, but if any vessel accidentally kills an albatross, they might as well scuttle the ship right then and there. These seemingly absurd but firmly-held beliefs might seem ridiculous to us land lubbers, but there are crews that will happily keelhaul someone for bringing a banana aboard.
So it might be concerning for the crew of the Harvey Milk, named after the U.S. Navy veteran, gay rights leader, and former San Francisco mayor, to change its name. Few nautical faux pas can bring worse luck than renaming ships. There are many reasons for this, and most date back to the age of sail, when there was so much misunderstanding about the oceans.
Legend has it that when a ship is christened with its name, that name is placed in the 'Ledger of the Deep.' This ledger is one kept by the gods, personally maintained by Poseidon or Neptune. When someone tries to change a ship's name, it means they're trying to slip something past the gods and should be punished for their attempted deception and disrespect. Failing to perform a proper rechristening or cleansing ritual might lead to the loss of the ship, the disappearance of its crew, or something worse.
In a more practical sense, ships around the world carried a reputation among those who worked on them. Vessels known for good luck, safe travels, or sturdiness in a storm might attract more sailors than an unlucky one (like one that killed an albatross). Pirates were also well-known for capturing and renaming ships. Those recaptured from pirates or unscrupulous merchants would be renamed again, hiding their actual histories. Such a renaming also hid the fates of those who served aboard.
The aforementioned USS United States began its life as one of America's six original frigates. Initially celebrated for its victory over the HMS Macedonian during the War of 1812, its luck soon ended. From then on, sailors considered it jinxed, and the ship ended up in Norfolk Harbor until the outbreak of the Civil War. Virginia rebels attempted to change the ship's name to the CSS United States, but the irony of its name wasn't lost on them. They called it the 'Confederate States,' which was the nail in its coffin. Retreating rebel troops sank it when Norfolk surrendered to the Union.
While it may not seem like a big deal to change a ship's name, Secretary Hegseth is unlikely to stop with the USNS Harvey Milk, according to CBS News. The John Lewis-class oilers are named for Civil Rights figures in American history. There are also many ships named for women. The USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Harriet Tubman are also Lewis-class oilers but have yet to be christened. Other currently active vessels, like those named after Civil Rights leaders Medgar Evers and Cesar Chavez, are also being considered for new names.
The question remains: Should Secretary Hegseth be afraid to venture out to sea because of Navy superstitions? Probably not.
Superstitions exist to make sense of events when something important is out of our control. They exist because it makes humans feel more confident when they have no other reason to be.
Anyone who thinks that's just silly should ask Michael Jordan why he wore his UNC practice shorts under his Chicago Bulls shorts in every NBA game he ever played.
If the U.S. Navy is genuinely dedicated to renaming ships, even those that are already christened, the chaplains will be working overtime. Priests, rabbis, and imams need to be called in to bless the boats in their new names. They will need to pacify the gods of the seas by pouring wine into the oceans. Or they can at least formally remove the old nameplates from the vessels and ceremoniously dispose of them in the sea – or so the story goes.
It might seem like a lot of work, but Hegseth is already angering many Americans by making the move during Pride Month. There's no sense in risking the anger of the gods of the sea, too.
