In a move already sparking widespread national conversation, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that the Navy’s oil tanker originally named after LGBTQ rights icon Harvey Milk will be renamed in honor of World War II hero and Medal of Honor recipient Oscar V. Peterson.
The decision, which comes amid ongoing debate over symbolic naming practices within the U.S. military, marks a significant reversal from the previous administration’s effort to honor Harvey Milk’s legacy as a Navy veteran and one of the nation’s most prominent early advocates for gay rights. The USNS Harvey Milk, a John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler, was christened in 2021 as part of a broader initiative to name Navy support vessels after civil rights leaders.
However, under Hegseth’s leadership, the Pentagon is signaling a shift in its approach to commemorating military history—choosing to prioritize individuals recognized for their valor in combat rather than their cultural or political influence. Oscar V. Peterson, a Chief Watertender in the U.S. Navy, was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions during the Japanese attack on the USS Neosho at the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942. Despite being gravely wounded, Peterson risked his life to shut down boilers aboard the burning ship, preventing an explosion that could have killed countless other sailors.
In a statement announcing the renaming, Hegseth emphasized the importance of honoring those who demonstrated “unmatched courage under fire” and whose service reflects the Navy’s “core values of honor, courage, and commitment.” The announcement did not disparage Harvey Milk directly but framed the change as a course correction intended to align naval honors more closely with battlefield sacrifice.
Supporters of the decision argue that naming a ship after Peterson restores a sense of military tradition and focuses on operational heroism over cultural symbolism. They see it as a nod to the countless service members whose gallantry has too often gone unrecognized in favor of political or social gestures.
Critics, however, view the move as a rollback of progress. LGBTQ advocacy groups have expressed disappointment, calling the renaming a “deliberate erasure” of inclusion and diversity within military honors. For many, the USNS Harvey Milk represented a long-overdue acknowledgment of the discrimination that gay service members faced for decades—including Milk himself, who was forced to resign from the Navy due to his sexuality.
The Navy has not yet provided a timetable for when the ship’s new name will take effect or whether the vessel’s exterior and internal markings will be updated immediately. It remains one of several changes Hegseth has proposed as part of a broader effort to “refocus the military on warfighting capability, heritage, and discipline.”
As the conversation around the symbolic meaning of names and honors continues to evolve, one thing is certain: the debate over how America remembers its heroes—on the battlefield and beyond—will remain deeply contested.