Harvey Milk’s name returned to headlines after the defense secretary ordered the name of the slain gay rights advocate, who served in the Navy, removed from a naval ship. But Milk’s legacy ...

Construction began in late 2019, and two years later, Navy veteran Paula Neira christened the USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206) during a ceremony in San Diego Bay attended by state and local leaders.

The USNS Harvey Milk will now be called the USNS Oscar V. Peterson, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday, June 27, 2025. Peterson, who is pictured, was a chief watertender in the Navy ...

Milk was assassinated in November 1978, just 11 months into his term, aged 48. In recognition of his legacy, the U.S. Navy named a ship—the USNS Harvey Milk—in his honor in 2016.

Earlier this month, the Department of Defense announced that it planned to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, named for a trailblazing LGBT and human rights advocate who became one of the first openly ...