U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth departs the U.S. Capitol Building on June 26, 2025, in Washington, DC.; US Navy portrait of then Ens. Harvey Milk
US Defense Secretary Pete Hagerce confirmed in a video statement that the US Navy will change the name of a John Lewis class fleet fuel supply ship. The ship was originally named after LGBTQ+rights leader Harvey Milk and will now be renamed the "Oscar V. Peterson".
Haigese stated that the core purpose of this decision is to remove political factors from the naming process of naval vessels. He emphasized that the new name of the ship aims to pay tribute to the United States Navy heroes who have won the Congressional Medal of Honor, in order to make the serving officers and soldiers proud of the ship they are on. Haigesese clearly pointed out that this renaming was not based on the investigation of political activists.
Due to the announcement of the name change in June, this decision sparked widespread discussion among the public on whether the Milk name should be removed. US Congressman Eric Sorensen asked Hagibis during a congressional hearing whether Milk's service performance deserves the country's gratitude. In response, Haigese stated that the prerequisite is that his service record is recognized as honorary in nature.
North American Editorial Department: Robin