Zachary Gohl | Washington Stand
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a U.S. Navy vessel to be stripped of its name. The USNS Harvey Milk is an oiler named after a San Francisco gay rights activist. In November 2021, the ship was “formally christened and launched” into service after plans were made to name a ship after Milk as early as 2016.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the oiler was named after Milk to recognize his “legacy and dedication to gay rights.” Milk acted as an activist for LGBT causes, openly advocating for those who identify as homosexual while serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and giving speeches where he insisted, “Every gay person must come out.” Many criticized the ship’s namesake, questioning whether Milk deserved such an honor.
According to Military.com, the memo ordering the name change labeled the action as a realignment to the “priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture” within the military. Reportedly, making the announcement in June, dubbed Pride Month by LGBT activists, is also intentional.
Some Democrats have expressed their disapproval over the decision. California Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi (D) called the move “spiteful,” adding it is a “shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted Hegseth, saying, “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, and he was assassinated while serving the public and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. Hegseth should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately.”
In a statement made to USA Today, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the decision, saying 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.”
Other ships’ names may be on the chopping block as well. The USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg and USNS Cesar Chavez, among others, are reportedly being considered for rechristening. Parnell noted, “Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.”
As far as the USNS Harvey Milk goes, many are praising the decision, including Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William G. Boykin, executive vice president of Family Research Council.
“Secretary Hegseth is sending a message to the entire military establishment that specific value is being put on the warrior ethos,” Gen. Boykin told the Washington Stand.
Boykin recalled his military experience, saying, “I have stood on east and west coast docks watching the christening of ships for two of my men who died in combat and had ships named for them. That is something that America can be proud of.”
Boykin expressed his gratitude at the changes being made under President Trump and Hegseth.
“Our military under the last administration was headed over the cliff at a rapid pace with all of the DEI activities that were taking up time that should have been used to prepare for war.
The warrior spirit is being restored by the Secretary of Defense and the quality leaders in our military today.
We must recognize that the world we live in has become so complex and dangerous that we must use our time wisely to ensure that our men and women of the armed services are ready when the call comes.”
“Ships and other memorials should be reserved for those who have either proven themselves in a courageous way or they have died in combat,” Boykin concluded. “[There are] no exceptions.”
First published on The Washington Stand
‘Readiness Over Wokeness’: GOP Lawmakers Salute Renaming of Navy Vessel (Daily Signal)
. . . “Under the Biden admin, where they renamed ships after pedophiles who had sex with 17-year-old boys, recruitment was at an all-time low. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, honor and pride in our country, rather than sexuality, are being restored to our military. The recruitment numbers speak for themselves,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., told The Daily Signal.
The Army recently announced it had surpassed its recruitment targets “with more than 61,000 future soldiers” before the end of the fiscal year.
“In a time when our military should be focused on readiness over wokeness, I fully support Secretary Hegseth’s decision to rename the Navy ship Harvey Milk. Our ships should honor those who embody the sacrifice, service, and values that make our nation great—not serve as platforms for woke political statements,” Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., noted.
“I applaud President Trump and Secretary Hegseth for making a needed course correction toward honoring real heroes who reflect the true spirit of America’s armed forces,” the Alabama congressman added.
“Our Navy ships should elevate the American ideal and strike fear into our enemies. Naming a ship after a gay activist accomplishes neither. Secretary Hegseth has it right: From camo to call signs, our military must project strength and American excellence, not woke politics,” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., said.
“Naming a U.S. Navy ship after Harvey Milk in 2016 was a harbinger of the crazy wokeness that would overtake military and government leadership a few years later,” Jay Richards, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal.
“Milk was an unsavory character who should not be treated as a civil rights hero by the federal government. Secretary Hegseth is doing exactly the right thing in renaming the ship,” Richards continued. . . . (read more)
Navy Reportedly Considering Renaming Ship Honoring Alleged ‘Homosexual Predator’
Leave a Comment