Ships to be renamed, too
We saw thebesig’s article on the formerly-Confederate-named-now Union-named-posts to be renamed to their original names (so Benning will go from Benning, ignoring Moore*, back to being named for the original Benning) – if only we could harness all the energy of politicians’ desires to waste money on stupid stuff like this, we’d never need another gallon of gas and our cars would pay US to drive them.
Earlier this week, Military.com broke the news that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the secretary of the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk. Hegseth’s decision to do so during Pride Month was reportedly intentional: The USNS Milk commemorates the life of the Navy veteran and LGBTQ+ rights activist.
No particular issues with that, naming a ship after someone with a less than honorable discharge because of who he liked to have sex with … how about we make a rule? No service to name any major equipment or location after anyone who was a) not a member of that service and b) doesn’t have an honorable discharge, oh, and c) decorated appropriately. Nice and simple.
After Military.com’s reporting, CBS confirmed the defense secretary’s plans and listed seven other naval ships who honor civic leaders and activists that would also be renamed. The USNS Milk is a John Lewis-class oiler; more than half of the currently named ships in the class are slated for renaming, although there are no reports to rename the USNS John Lewis, USNS Earl Warren, USNS Robert F. Kennedy or USNS Sojourner Truth. In addition, two ships from the Lewis and Clark class that have been in service for more than a decade have also been singled out for renaming.
Here are the people from whom the ships will be renamed, other than Mr. Milk. Bold emphasis added.
The granddaughter of a veteran of the American Revolution, Lucy Stone was an ardent abolitionist and suffragist in the 19th century.
…Dolores Huerta left teaching to organize for worker rights in the 1950s
Born and raised in Baltimore, Thurgood Marshall‘s name has become synonymous with the legal fight for civil rights in America. As the lead counsel for the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, he argued some of the most impactful civil rights cases of the 20th century in front of the Supreme Court.
Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg served as a justice of the Supreme Court for 27 years.
… Born into slavery in the 1820s, (Harriett – ed.) Tubman freed herself by trekking from Maryland to Philadelphia.
When Cesar Chavez‘s parents lost their farm during the Great Depression, they joined hundreds of thousands of others and became migrant farmworkers, following the seasons and work around the West.
A son of Mississippi, Medgar Evers dropped out of school and joined the Army during World War II, shipping out to Western Europe in a segregated unit. Military.com
At least Evers had a military connection, albeit to a different service. I hope Hegseth has a few heroic Navy types in mind? I’m pretty sure the Navy has produced a few heroes over the years… if he runs low, I suspect the Marines have one or two they can spare.
* I liked naming the post for a modern hero. Though if they want to rename Ft. Liberty to something a bit less lame, rather than Bragg I would go for Benavides.
Gotta love the trolling irony of naming an OILER after Harvey Milk. Who said the Navy doesn’t have a sense of humor?
milks name should have been changed OILY in the year instead of Milking the the time it took to make the change
True, true. But could have only named the fan room after him.
You will never get rid of the politicians desire to waste money. It’s not their money to waste, it’s OUR money. Wasting money helps cover their grift…and buy votes.
That is the biggest bullshit statement I’ve ever seen on Harriett Tubman. Tubman was appointed by Sec of War Stanton to act as a spy and a scout for the Union Army, after already doing this successfully for General David Hunter.
She actually led an entire network of spies providing valuable intelligence throughout the war. During the Combahe River raid she led an armed assault and she personally helped 750 slaves that were providing logistics to the Confederate Army escape. Of those liberated more than 100 joined the Union Army.
She also supported the assault on Ft Wagner and when not spying served as a nurse.
Anyone not black and female would have been showered with medals, I’d be proud to serve on a ship dedicated in her name.
She was a true badass
Hooah. Enthusiastic concur.
The Left wants Jackson off the Twenty. Put Tubman on it. Use that “come with me” drawing, where she is holding her Colt.
And put Reagan on the Fifty.
Medgar Evers did serve in the Army during WWII but what he did after was a much larger testimony to his character. He took on the civil rights battle in Mississippi from the time he left the service until his assassination in 1963 by a Klan member (who wasn’t convicted of the crime till 1993). He was constantly subjected to death threat and other attacks while doing this.
Anyone willing to risk death to ensure freedom and liberty for the fellow citizens is exactly the kind behavior we should be encouraging in our Soldiers, Sailors and Marines.
I served at Fort Bragg 87-88. I’ll never call it anything else.
Yupper. My brother was born at Ft. Bragg, and I at Ft. Benning.
I have skin in this fight!
Ceaser wanted the border shut down so he could run the workers union.
Cesar Chavez did far more to control illegal immigration than Joe Biden did. Illegals were scab labor in his eyes, and beaten severely.
Not a fan. At his core he was just another crooked union boss.
Pretty much! Not the hero that many believe him to be.
Justice Marshall did a lot of good in his life but he probably would be bemused having a warship named after him since he was a pacifist as was Lucy Stone, who despite being dedicated to ending slavery didn’t support the Civil War. Stone wasn’t just a pacifist she was a believer in non-resistance. Having a war ship named after her is practically an insult.
From what I have read about Medgar Evers, he was a good guy and as a U.S. Army WWII vet, I would agree to having something named in His honor. Both as a WWII Army vet and what he did for equal rights. However, a Navy ship doesn’t really make sense to me. As a part of the Red Ball Express, maybe they could look at naming one of the newest U.S. Army transportation mediums in his honor. Name ships after guys that did something heroic on ships, name planes after guys that did something heroic in the sky and sew-on.
The named ships above were just politicians, politicking.