USNS Harvey Milk
 Harvey Milk in San Francisco Bay, 28 March 2024
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Harvey Milk |
| Namesake | Harvey Milk |
| Awarded | 30 June 2016 |
| Builder | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company |
| Laid down | 3 September 2020[1] |
| Launched | 6 November 2021[2] |
| Sponsored by | Paula Neira[2] |
| Christened | 6 November 2021[2] |
| In service | 11 July 2023[3] |
| Identification |
|
| Motto | Courage and Conviction[4] |
| Status | In active Military Sealift Command service |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Oiler |
USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206) is the second of the John Lewis-class of underway replenishment oilers, operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) to support ships of the United States Navy.
In July 2016, Ray Mabus, then United States Secretary of the Navy, advised Congress that he intended to name the John Lewis-class oilers after prominent civil rights leaders, with this ship to be named in honor of gay rights activist Harvey Milk.[5]
The ship was officially named at a ceremony in San Francisco on 16 August 2016.[6][7] Though Milk was gay, this ship is not the first US Navy ship named for an openly gay person, as that would be the WWI troopship USS Von Steuben (ID-3017), commissioned in 1917 and named for a revolutionary war hero and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.[8]
Namesake
[edit]Milk served in the US Navy during the Korean War aboard USS Kittiwake (ASR-13), a submarine rescue ship, and held the rank of lieutenant (junior grade).[5] In 1955, he was forced to resign and accept an "other than honorable" discharge, rather than face a court martial for his homosexuality.[9][10]
Construction
[edit]Construction for both Harvey Milk, and USNS John Lewis (T-AO-205), the lead ship of the class, was authorized on 30 June 2016.[11][12] Building got underway for John Lewis in 2018 at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego.[13]
The first cut of steel for Harvey Milk occurred on 13 December 2019, marking the beginning of construction of the vessel.[14] The ship had her christening ceremony and was then launched on 6 November 2021, with Milk's nephew Stuart Milk, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, and the ship's sponsor, prominent LBGTQ activist Paula Neira, in attendance.[2][15]
On 11 July 2023, Harvey Milk entered non-commissioned U.S. Navy service under the control of the Military Sealift Command.[3]
Incidents
[edit]In March 2024, during the Israel-Hamas war, nine pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to board the ship and create a disturbance. They were stopped at the gangway before they could board; however, they managed to chain themselves to the gangway, until San Francisco Police removed them peacefully. The protest was organized by the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, which claimed the cargo fuel ship was carrying weapons to Israel.[16]
See also
[edit]
- Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oiler - predecessor class
References
[edit]- ^ "Keel Authenticated for Future USNS Harvey Milk". United States Navy. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d "General Dynamics NASSCO christens and launches the future USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206)". National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Navy Accepts Delivery of USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206)" (Press release). United States Navy. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ^ "USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206)". tioh.army.mil. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Navy to Name Ship After Gay Rights Activist Harvey Milk". US Naval Institute. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ Blake, Andrew (17 August 2016). "Naval ceremony celebrates naming of USNS Harvey Milk". The Washington Times. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ^ Staley, Oliver (17 August 2016). "The US Navy is naming a ship after slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk". Quartz. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ^ Blakemore, Erin (14 June 2018). "The Revolutionary War Hero Who Was Openly Gay". History.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ Bajko, Matthew S. (12 February 2021). "Naval records indicate SF library's Milk discharge paperwork a fake". The Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ Shivaram, Deepa (7 November 2021). "The U.S. Navy has christened a ship named after slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk". NPR. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
- ^ "JOHN LEWIS (AO 205)". Naval Vessel Register. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "NO NAME (AO 206)". Naval Vessel Register. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
- ^ "NASSCO starts construction of first John Lewis class oiler". marinelog.com. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- ^ "Construction of Navy ship 'Harvey Milk' begins at San Diego shipbuilder". sandiegouniontribune.com. 14 December 2019.
- ^ "Navy launches ship named for gay rights leader Harvey Milk". navytimes.com. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ Pehling, Dave (29 March 2024). "Pro-Palestinian demonstrators chain selves to gangway of USNS Harvey Milk in San Francisco - CBS San Francisco". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
