Pride Month — The Launch of a U.S. Navy Ship Named in Honor of Harvey Milk

On November 6, 2021, a U.S. Navy ship named after trailblazing public official and gay rights activist Harvey Milk was launched in San Diego Bay. USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-208) is part of the fleet of the John Lewis-class of underway replenishment oilers, which are operated by the Military Sealift Command to provide logistical support such as fuel to Navy ships at sea.  

Harvey Milk, who was born in the hamlet of Woodmere, New York, in 1930, joined the Navy during the Korean War. One of his tours of duty in this military branch involved serving as a diving officer on board USS Kittiwake (ASR-13), a submarine rescue vessel. In 1955, Milk was discharged from the Navy at the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) after being questioned about his sexual orientation.

Milk eventually ended up living in San Francisco and developed an increasingly strong interest there in not only gay rights but also that city’s overall quality of life and most pressing civic needs. He won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, becoming the first openly gay elected official in California and one of the first in the entire United States. A little over a year later, however, Milk’s life came to a tragic end when both he and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by a disgruntled former city supervisor.

During the launch of the 742-foot (226.2-meter)-long ship bearing Milk’s name, U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro hailed him as a pioneering civil rights figure. “Leaders like Harvey Milk taught us that diversity of backgrounds and experiences help contribute to the strength and resolve of our nation,” said Del Toro. “There is no doubt that the future sailors aboard this ship will be inspired by Milk’s life and legacy.”

One of the sponsors of USNS Harvey Milk was Paula Neira, a Navy veteran and the clinical program director for the Center for Transgender Health at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. Neira, who christened the new ship with a bottle of champagne, likewise took time that day to highlight Milk’s contributions to American society.

“Harvey Milk’s words and actions brought hope and inspiration to many for whom our nation’s lofty rhetoric of equality and inclusion were not yet reality,” asserted Neira. “Today, while we must continue to carry on his work, and much work still needs to be done, by christening and launching this ship we honor his legacy, celebrate the progress that has been made in advancing diversity and inclusion for so many, and we know that wherever the USNS Harvey Milk will sail, she will bring that message of hope and inspiration to present and future generations.”

Along with having a ship named after him, Milk has been honored throughout the years in various other notable ways. In 2009, for example, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Photo Credit: Public Domain For more information on the launch of USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-208), please check out https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2021/11/07/navy-launches-ship-named-for-gay-rights-leader-harvey-milk/