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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Online Library of Selected Images:
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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