Latest news with #USNS
Los Angeles Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: Will the USS Ronald Reagan get the same treatment as USNS Harvey Milk?
To the editor: According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, he is 'taking the politics out of ship naming' by changing the USNS Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson ('USNS Harvey Milk is renamed after a WWII sailor in the latest Pentagon diversity purge,' June 27). Since Hegseth clearly doesn't want ships to be named after politicians, can we assume that the carrier USS Ronald Reagan also will be renamed? After all, whereas Milk served in a combat zone during the Korean War, Reagan's World War II military service was limited to the U.S. mainland due to his poor eyesight. Geoff Kuenning, Claremont
Economic Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Who is Oscar Verner Peterson, after which naval ship USNS Harvey Milk has been renamed?
Peterson died as a result of the battle and was buried at sea. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the new name for the naval ship USNS Harvey Milk will be the USNS Oscar V. Peterson."We are taking the politics out of ship naming," Hegseth said in a statement to officially announce the name a video posted to the Department of Defense X account Friday morning, Hegseth said the oiler ship, originally named for the gay San Francisco city councilor assassinated in 1978, would now be known as the USNS Oscar V. Peterson.'Well, I'm pleased to officially announce that the Department of the Navy is renaming the fleet replenishment oiler, formerly known as the USNS Harvey Milk, to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson,' Hegseth proclaimed in the video. Peterson, Hegseth said, was a chief watertender who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during an attack on the USS Neosho by Japanese bombers during the Battle of Coral Sea in 1942. ALSO READ: New twist in Trump's immigration crackdown: Kristi Noem drops bombshell, names target countries accepting deported migrants According to Pacific Wrecks, Oscar Verner Peterson was born August 27, 1899 in Prentice, Wisconsin. On December 8, 1920 he enlisted in California into the U.S. Navy (USN) and was assigned to sea duty. During World War II, Peterson attained the rank of Chief Water Tender (CWT) aboard USS Neosho (AO-23) operating as a fleet oiler in the Pacific. He was serving as chief watertender on the U.S.S. Neosho when it came under air attack by the Japanese in the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 7, 1942, during May 7, 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea around 11:15am USS Neosho (AO-23) was targeted by D3A Val dive bombers and severely damaged and Peterson was severely wounded. Despite his injuries, Peterson was in charge of a repair party and managed to close the bulkhead stop valves and was severely burned but saved the ship from May 11, 1942 the surviving crew members including Peterson were rescued by USS Henley (DD-391) then at 2:28pm afterwards scuttled USS Neosho (AO-23) with gunfire. On May 13, 1942 Peterson died of his earned the Medal of Honor and Purple Heart. Peterson is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the died as a result of the battle and was buried at sea. But he later received the Medal of Honor "for extraordinary courage and conspicuous heroism above and beyond the call of duty while in charge of a repair party" during the attack, his citation says."Lacking assistance because of injuries to the other members of his repair party and severely wounded himself, Peterson, with no concern for his own life, closed the bulkhead stop valves and in so doing received additional burns which resulted in his death," it says."His spirit of self-sacrifice and loyalty, characteristic of a fine seaman, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country."Peterson was 42 years old and left behind a wife and two sons.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Taking politics out': Pete Hegseth rechristens US Navy ship named after gay rights leader; gives it World War II sailor's name
Pete Hegseth US defense secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday (local time) announced the new name - USNS Oscar V Peterson - of USNS Harvey Milk, days after he directed the United States Navy to rename the ship. "We are taking the politics out of ship naming," he wrote on X along with a video announcing the move. The "politics" Hegseth referred to is that the ship's previous name was a tribute to Harvey Milk, a politician and gay rights activist. Milk, who served four years in the Navy in the Korean War but left due to his sexuality, later became California's first openly homosexual politician. In November 1978, aged 48, he was shot and killed inside San Francisco city hall by Dan White, a former San Francisco supervisor. He was also the subject of the 2008 critically-acclaimed biopic "Milk." On the other hand, Oscar V Peterson spent 20 years in the Navy and was killed during a World War II battle, in an act of self-sacrifice which saved lives. Peterson received a posthumous Medal of Honor for his act of bravery. USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet replenishment oiler, was originally named in 2016 under then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Its name-change comes amid a push from Hegseth to remove DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) and "woke" policies from the department of defense, which he leads in the administration of Donald Trump, a Republican. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo When the move was first reported earlier this month, Rep Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, called it a "shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream." "As the rest of us are celebrating the joy of Pride Month, it is my hope that the Navy will reconsider this egregious decision," Pelosi's statement read.
San Francisco Chronicle
27-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Harvey Milk name erased from Navy ship during Pride Month
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the U.S. Navy has renamed a ship honoring slain gay rights icon Harvey Milk, replacing it with the name of a World War II hero. The decision, which critics called politically motivated and timed to Pride Month, marks a stark reversal in the Navy's recent approach to commemorating civil rights leaders. The fleet oiler, formerly known as the USNS Harvey Milk, will now bear the name of Oscar V. Peterson, a Medal of Honor recipient who died saving his ship, the USS Neosho, during a 1942 Japanese attack. 'We are taking the politics out of ship naming,' Hegseth said in a video posted to X. 'People want to be proud of the ship they're sailing in.' I am pleased to announce that the United States Navy is renaming the USNS Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. We are taking the politics out of ship naming. — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) June 27, 2025 The ship was christened in 2021 under a policy from the Obama-era Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to name oilers after civil and human rights champions. Milk, a Navy veteran who was forced to accept an 'other than honorable' discharge due to his sexuality, later became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S. before his assassination in 1978. An internal Navy memo revealed that the renaming aligns with President Donald Trump's and Hegseth's goals to 're-establish the warrior culture.' The timing — days after WorldPride celebrations in Washington, D.C. — has drawn intense backlash. 'The removal of Harvey Milk's name from a naval vessel — during Pride Month, no less — is absolutely shameful,' state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said in a statement when the news of the name change first emerged this month. 'Brave LGBTQ veterans worked for years to achieve the naming of a ship for Harvey. Now Trump and Hegseth are wiping it away due to straight-up bigotry.' The USNS Harvey Milk is one of 17 vessels built to honor civil rights heroes, including civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.; Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; women's rights activist Lucy Stone and abolitionist Sojourner Truth. 'Donald Trump's assault on veterans has hit a new low.' California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on social media this month. 'Harvey Milk wasn't just a civil rights icon — he was a Korean War combat veteran whose commander called him 'outstanding.' Stripping his name from a Navy ship won't erase his legacy as an American icon, but it does reveal Trump's contempt for the very values our veterans fight to protect.'
CNN
27-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Hegseth announces new name for US Navy ship that was named after gay rights activist
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the USNS Harvey Milk is being renamed to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. During Pride Month in June, he ordered the stripping of the name Harvey Milk who was a gay rights activist and Navy veteran.
