Navy

Remember our History and Heritage

Categories

Tags

We must remember our history and heritage as a people. Recently, there has been an uproar regarding confederate memorials, street names, ship names, and a number of other symbols rooted in the darker chapters of U.S. history. I agree with the authors who argue that we must not allow ourselves to forget our naval history by erasing Confederates and others from memorials and ships. In fact, I believe that we should continue to enshrine such figures of our history. Nothing could be more critical to preserving our country’s historical fabric and ensuring we do not make the mistakes of the past. It is for this reason that I call on the U.S. Navy to name its next ship the USS Benedict Arnold.

Here is a brief history of Benedict Arnold, for those of you who have not heard of him, since a monument honoring individuals is required for them to be remembered in history. Benedict Arnold made an indelible contribution to the American Revolution, primarily through his work leading the Continental Navy, hence why he should have a warship named in his honor. The patriot Benedict Arnold helped Ethan Allen seize Fort Ticonderoga and, later, Arnold led the fledgling U.S. Navy to its most stunning strategic victory of the war (though it was a tactical loss), when his forces at Lake Champlain stalled a British invasion that almost surely would have ended the American Revolution.

In 1780, however, Arnold made the unfortunate error of defecting to the British Empire and taking up arms against Americans. But so did Buchanan, Maury, Bragg, and many other American sailors and soldiers who are honored with ships and bases. My Naval Academy classmate, First Lieutenant James Winnefeld, argued that we should remove the names of Buchanan and others from the Naval Academy, but I disagree. If we do so, the actions of these men will instantly be removed from history, a loss that cannot be calculated. There simply is no other way to record history other than through the names on ships and buildings. This is why I am also calling on the Navy to research a potential new creation, a sort of repository building where historical artifacts and documents can be researched, displayed, and preserved.

While I agree with authors who argue that Admiral Buchanan of the Confederate States should retain his place of honor at the UNITED STATES Naval Academy, the fact is he never achieved such a stunning victory for the United States as Arnold did when he delayed the British. Further, Buchanan’s changing sides was to support the continuation of slavery. Benedict Arnold never fought to preserve the institution of slavery, and his efforts are almost universally acclaimed by historians as central to the victory of the United States in the Revolution. As of now, the only memorial to this man’s great service to America is one that honors his severed leg, which he lost at Saratoga. This is not a fitting way to remember someone who fought for America, despite his later actions.

We simply must name the next Navy ship after Benedict Arnold, whether it is a submarine, carrier, destroyer, or otherwise, as ship-naming conventions are suggested guidelines at best. This must be done posthaste, lest we forget the history of Benedict Arnold and allow ourselves to repeat his mistakes by becoming turncoats for those pesky Brits. And perhaps once we have taken this modest step, we could also explore the possibility of naming ships after other American enemies, such as the USS Mussolini, Bin Laden, or any number of options. For history’s sake!

Back To Top