Latest news with #militaryhonor
Washington Post
02-07-2025
- Washington Post
Military honors bestowed on Illinois veteran identified nearly a decade after death
CHICAGO — Standing near the gravestone for the relative he never met, Mark Bailey accepted the crisply folded American flag from the Army officer, hugged it to his chest and closed his eyes. Though the person he called his aunt — born Reba Caroline Bailey — had been estranged, missing for decades and died in 2015 as an unidentified ward of the state, he felt connection and a sense of closure.
Daily Mail
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Pete Hegseth reveals name of Navy oil tanker after snubbing gay icon Harvey Milk
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that the USNS Harvey Milk will be renamed after a World War II sailor who received the Medal of Honor, stripping the ship of the name of a slain gay rights activist who served during the Korean War. In a video posted to social media, Hegseth said he was 'taking the politics out of ship naming.' The ship's new name will honor Navy Chief Petty Officer Oscar V. Peterson, who was awarded the highest military decoration posthumously for his actions during the 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea in the Pacific. The decision is the latest move by Hegseth to wipe away names of ships and military bases that were given by President Joe Biden 's Democratic administration, which in many cases chose to honor service members who were women, minorities, from the LBGTQ community and more. It follows earlier actions by Hegseth and President Donald Trump, a Republican, to purge all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion in the military and elsewhere. Hegseth's announcement comes during Pride Month - the same timing as the Pentagon 's campaign to force transgender troops out of the US military. 'People want to be proud of the ship they're sailing in,' Hegseth said of the change. 'We're not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration,' insisted Hegseth, who earlier this month ordered Navy Secretary John Phelan to put together a small team to rename the USNS Harvey Milk replenishment oiler. He said Peterson's 'spirit of self-sacrifice and concern for his crewmates was in keeping with the finest traditions of the Navy.' A Defense official said the renaming was an attempt by MAGA to 'reestablish warrior culture' and the timing of the announcement - during Pride Month - was intentional. Liberal critics, however, called the move a weak attempt to replace US history with empty machismo. When Hegseth announced the decision to rename the ship, officials defended it as an effort to align with Trump and Hegseth's objectives to 're-establish the warrior culture.' Democratic congressman Jim Himes said the renaming displayed a deep insecurity among those in President Trump's administration. 'At the core of MAGA is a deep insecurity about one's own manhood and sexuality,' Himes said on X. 'That's why all the muscle displays, military cosplaying and school yard bullying.' Another critic called it 'another attempt to erase the LGBTQ+ community by a small minded self-serving administration.' Peterson, who spent 20 years in the Navy, served on the USS Neosho and was in charge of running the steam engine when it came under Japanese fire in the Philippines in 1942. The ship was damaged during the Battle of the Coral Sea, and even though Peterson was injured, he managed to close the bulkhead stop valves to keep the ship operational. He suffered third-degree burns and later died from his wounds. The Navy in 1943 named an escort ship after Peterson. The USS Peterson served for more than two decades and was decommissioned in June 1965. The USNS Harvey Milk was named in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus under President Barack Obama, who said at the time that the John Lewis-class of oilers would be named after leaders who fought for civil and human rights. Actor Sean Penn (pictured), 64, who portrayed Harvey Milk in the Oscar-winning 2008 biopic Milk, slammed the Defense Secretary, calling Hegseth 'Chief PETTY Officer' Harvey Milk, who was portrayed by Sean Penn, 64, in an Oscar-winning 2008 movie, served for four years in the Navy before he was forced out for being gay. He 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. Milk later became one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office, in San Francisco and served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors after years of activism in the LGBTQ sphere. He was assassinated one year into his term in 1978 by disgruntled former San Francisco supervisor Dan White. Hegseth and the broader Trump administration have faced criticism from veterans' groups, high-profile public figures and former DoD Secretary fans, including Newsweek's political editor Carlo Versano, over the controversial renaming effort. 'I've never before seen a Secretary of Defense so aggressively demote himself to the rank of Chief PETTY Officer,' actor Penn, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. Dustin Lance Black, the film's screenwriter, also criticized the move as politically divisive. 'This is yet another move to distract and to fuel the culture wars that create division,' Black, 50, told The Hollywood Reporter. 'It's meant to get us to react in ways that are self-centered so that we are further distanced from our brothers and sisters in equally important civil rights fights in this country. It's divide and conquer.' The progressive veterans' group VoteVets also condemned the move. 'At the start of Pride Month, Pete Hegseth ordered the Navy to strip Harvey Milk's name from a ship,' the group wrote on X. 'A man who served with honor - erased to send a message. This is a deliberate insult to LGBTQ troops and Americans that weakens our force and shreds the values we fight for.' Versano, who was once a cautious supporter of Hegseth's Pentagon appointment, has since turned sharply critical. In a column titled 'Now Boarding the USS Idiocracy,' the Newsweek's political editor wrote, 'I cannot believe I once wrote here that I was cautiously optimistic about Hegseth as someone who could shake up the Pentagon. Was I on drugs?' He added, 'This guy is such an embarrassment to be leading our military… this is what the Defense Department is sitting around worrying about right now?' Several public officials have also voiced their outrage. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on X: 'Erasing Harvey Milk's name is disgusting, blatant discrimination - and during Pride Month to boot. He served the U.S. Navy and his country honorably... Hegseth should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately.' Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi added, 'The reported decision... is a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American dream. '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. '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 said in a statement. Former Pentagon official Alex Wagner, who helped lead the department's first Pride event in 2012, said the decision was 'disappointing, but no surprise.' Wagner noted, 'When I served... we prioritized building and resourcing a ready force capable of deterring, denying, and - if necessary - defeating the People's Liberation Army. We sought to harness one of our greatest strategic advantages - the diverse experiences and expertise of all Americans.' In defense of the renaming initiative, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated, 'Secretary 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.' According to CBS News, an internal Navy memo cited the renaming as an effort to ensure 'alignment with president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture.' 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. The USNS Medgar Evers, for the African American civil rights activist, is also on the list The USNS Thurgood Marshall, named after tthe Supreme Court's first African-American justice, is on the list The USNS Thurgood Marshall, named after the 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. 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 Guardian
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Hegseth announces new name of US navy ship that honored gay rights icon Harvey Milk
The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has formally announced that the US navy supply vessel named in honor of the gay rights activist Harvey Milk is to be renamed after Oscar V Peterson, a chief petty officer who received the congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of the Coral Sea in the second world war. 'We are taking the politics out of ship naming,' Hegseth announced on Friday on X. In an accompanying video-statement, Hegseth added: 'We are not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration. Instead, we are renaming the ship after a congressional Medal of Honor recipient.' 'People want to be proud of the ship they are sailing in,' Hegseth added. The move comes amid a widespread backlash against LGBTQ+ rights and issues in the US under the Trump administration, ranging from banning books associated with LGBTQ+ causes to reducing the rights of transgender people. The oil-supply vessel had been named after the San Francisco gay rights activist, who was murdered in 1978 after serving as a city supervisor, dubbing himself the 'Mayor of Castro Street'. He had served in the navy as a diving officer on a submarine rescue ship but resigned with an 'other than honorable' discharge rather than be court-martialed for homosexuality. Peterson served on the USS Neosho, a ship that was heavily damaged by Japanese dive bombers on 7 May 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea. In one bombing raid, Peterson and members of the repair party he led were severely wounded. But despite his injuries, he managed to close four steam line valves, suffering third-degree burns to his face, shoulders, arms and hands in the process. But by closing the bulkhead valves, Peterson isolated the steam to the engine room and helped keep the ship operational. In an announcement that appeared timed for the start of Pride month, Hegseth announced that Milk's name was to be stripped from ship in early June. It had been named after the gay icon in 2016 by then-navy secretary Ray Mabus, who said at the time that the John Lewis-class of oilers would be named after leaders who fought for civil and human rights. The move to strip Milk's name from the ship triggered a backlash from the activist's friends when it was first reported. 'Yes, this is cruel and petty and stupid, and yes, it's an insult to my community,' Cleve Jones, Milk's close friend and an LGBTQ+ activist, previously told the Associated Press. 'I would be willing to wager a considerable sum that American families sitting around that proverbial kitchen table this evening are not going to be talking about how much safer they feel now that Harvey's name is going to be taken off that ship,' he added to the news agency. Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, told the AP that renaming the ship would become 'a rallying cry not just for our community but for all minority communities'. He added: 'I don't think he'd be surprised, but he'd be calling on us to remain vigilant, to stay active.' Elected officials, including the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and California's governor, Gavin Newsom, described the change as an attempt to erase the contributions of LGBTQ+ people and an insult to fundamental American values of honoring veterans. 'The right's cancel culture is at it again. A cowardly act from a man desperate to distract us from his inability to lead the Pentagon,' Newsom said of Hegseth on the social media platform X.
Fox News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Hegseth announces Navy oil tanker named after gay rights leader renamed after Medal of Honor recipient
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a Navy oil tanker named after gay rights leader Harvey Milk will be renamed after Medal of Honor recipient Oscar V. Peterson. "We are taking the politics out of ship naming," he wrote on X along with a video announcing the move. Milk was California's first openly gay politician, who was shot and killed inside San Francisco city hall by former San Francisco supervisor Dan White. The ship, a fleet replenishment oiler, was originally named after him in 2016 under President Barack Obama. He served four years in the Navy in the Korean War but left due to his sexuality. Peterson was awarded the Medal of Honor after his death, having died of his wounds during battle in World War II in an act of self-sacrifice that saved lives. "People want to be proud of the ship they're sailing in," Hegseth said of the change. "We're not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration." Peterson, who spent 20 years in the Navy, was in charge of running the steam engine in the U.S.S. Neosho when it came under Japanese fire in the Philippines in 1942. On May 7, 1942, the Neosho was severely damaged during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Peterson and other members of his repair party were badly injured, but Peterson managed to close four bulkhead steam valves. He sustained third-degree burns in the process, but the move kept the ship afloat. On May 11, the U.S.S. Henley rescued 123 survivors from the Neosho, and Peterson died two days later from his wounds. The renaming comes amid a push from Hegseth to remove DEI and "woke" policies from the Department of Defense. When the move was first reported earlier this month, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the move 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 said in a statement.
The Guardian
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Hegseth announces new name of US navy ship that honored gay rights icon Harvey Milk
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth has formally announced that the US navy supply vessel named in honor of gay rights activist Harvey Milk is to be renamed after Oscar V Peterson, a chief petty officer who received the congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle of the Coral Sea in the second world war. 'We are taking the politics out of ship naming,' Hegseth announced on Friday on X. In an accompanying video-statement, Hegseth added: 'we are not renaming the ship to anything political. This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration. Instead, we are renaming the ship after a congressional Medal of Honor recipient.' 'People want to be proud of the ship they are sailing in,' Hegseth added. The move comes amid a widespread backlash against LGBTQ+ rights and issues in the US under the Trump administration, ranging from banning books associated with LGBTQ+ causes to reducing the rights of transgender people. The oil-supply vessel had been named after the San Francisco gay rights activist, who was murdered 1978 after serving as a city supervisor, dubbing himself the 'Mayor of Castro Street'. He had served in the navy as a diving officer on a submarine rescue ship but resigned with an 'other than honorable' discharge rather than be court-martialed for homosexuality. Peterson served on the USS Neosho, a ship that was heavily damaged by Japanese dive bombers on 7 May 1942, during the battle of the Coral Sea. In one bombing raid, Peterson and members of the repair party he led were severely wounded. But despite his injuries, he managed to close four steam line valves, suffering third-degree burns to his face, shoulders, arms and hands in the process. But by closing the bulkhead valves, Peterson isolated the steam to the engine room and helped keep the ship operational. In an announcement that appeared timed for the start of Pride month, Hegseth announced that the Milk's name was to be stripped from ship in early June. It had been named after the gay icon in 2016 by then-navy secretary Ray Mabus, who said at the time that the John Lewis-class of oilers would be named after leaders who fought for civil and human rights. The move to strip Milk's name from the ship triggered a backlash from the activist's friends when it was first reported. 'Yes, this is cruel and petty and stupid, and yes, it's an insult to my community,' Cleve Jones, Milk's close friend and an LGBTQ+ activist, previously told the Associated Press. 'I would be willing to wager a considerable sum that American families sitting around that proverbial kitchen table this evening are not going to be talking about how much safer they feel now that Harvey's name is going to be taken off that ship,' he added to the news agency. Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, told the AP that renaming the ship would become 'a rallying cry not just for our community but for all minority communities'. He added: 'I don't think he'd be surprised, but he'd be calling on us to remain vigilant, to stay active.' Elected officials, including the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and California's governor, Gavin Newsom, described the change as and attempt to erase the contributions of LGBTQ+ people and an insult to fundamental American values of honoring veterans. 'The right's cancel culture is at it again. A cowardly act from a man desperate to distract us from his inability to lead the Pentagon,' Newsom said of Hegseth on the social media platform X.
