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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL
CENTER
901 M STREET SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:
-- PEOPLE -- TOPICS --
African-Americans and the U.S. Navy --
U.S. Navy Ships Named in Honor of African Americans
As of late 1998, nine Navy ships have been named in honor
of African-Americans. This page lists these ships, and
provides links to pictures of seven of them.
U.S. Navy Ships (including ships of the Military Sealift
Command) named in honor of African-Americans include:
USS Harmon
(DE-678), 1943-1967. The first ship to be named for an
African-American, Harmon honored Mess Attendant First Class Leonard
Roy Harmon, who posthumously was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism
during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942.
USS George Washington
Carver (SSBN-656), 1966-1993. Named in honor of the noted
scientist George Washington Carver (1864-1943).
USS Jesse L. Brown
(DE-1089, later FF-1089 and FFT-1089), 1973-1994.
Named in honor of Ensign Jesse L. Brown, USN (1926-1950), the first
African-American Naval Aviator, who was killed in action during the
Korean War.
USS Miller
(DE-1091, later FF-1091), 1973-199_. Named in honor of Cook Third
Class Doris ("Dorie") Miller, who was awarded the Navy Cross for
heroism during the Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941.
USNS PFC James
Anderson, Jr. (T-AK-3002), 1985-___. Named in honor of Private
First Class James Anderson, Jr., USMC (1947-1967), who was posthumously
awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Vietnam War.
USS Rodney M. Davis
(FFG-60), 1987-___. Named in honor of Sergeant Rodney M. Davis,
USMC (1942-1967), who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for
heroism during the Vietnam War.
USNS Henson (T-AGS-63),
1998-___. Named in honor of the Arctic Explorer Matthew Alexander
Henson (1866-1955).
USNS Watson (T-AKR-310), 1998-___. Named in honor of Private
George Watson, U.S. Army (19??-1943), who was posthumously awarded the Medal
of Honor for heroism during the Second World War.
There are, as yet, no pictures of this ship in the Naval Historical
Center's Collections.
USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79). Named in honor of Private First
Class Oscar P. Austin, USMC (1948-1969), who was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor for heroism during the Vietnam War. This ship is under
construction, with completion scheduled for 2000.
There are, as yet, no pictures of this ship in the Naval Historical
Center's Collections.
To the best of our knowledge, the Online Library's pictures are
all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded
and used for any purpose.
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online
Library's digital images, see
"How to Obtain
Photographic Reproductions."
For further pictorial coverage, see the
African-Americans and the U.S. Navy cover page.
Return to
Naval Historical Center home page.
Revised 2 February 1999