Since February of 2025, I have made it my mission to convince the Department of the Navy to name a naval vessel after the City of Mishawaka. This started because while my late Grandma Linda was succumbing to cancer, she wanted the family to honor her father’s Navy service because 2025 would have been his 100th birthday.
I learned back in 2024 that Mishawaka previously had a naval vessel named after the city, USNS Mishawaka (YTB-764), a Natick-Class Tugboat. The person who taught me about the USNS Mishawaka was Mishawaka Historian Laureate, Peter De Kever, who wrote an article on the vessel and had an exhibit at the Mishawaka Historical Museum.
Postcard depicting USNS Mishawaka (YTB-764)
As a way to honor my Great Grandfather, Jack Biggs, and all other service members from Mishawaka, I created postcards and also sent personal letters to every Secretary of the Navy since then. In the past year and a half, there have been three Secretaries of the Navy, the most recent one is Secretary Hung Cao.
Sent to me on June 12, 2026, Secretary Cao sent one of the most in depth letters I have ever gotten from a public servant. I sent a fact sheet; however, he mentioned facts I never included, meaning his staff did legwork and researched the idea seriously. I am incredibly impressed by his letter and now believe that the reality of another USNS Mishawaka is much closer than prior to 2025.
Here is the entire letter:
“Dear Mr. Lange:
Thank you for your letter requesting that a future naval vessel be named or the USNS CESAR CHAVEZ (T-AKE 14) be renamed to MISHAWAKA, in honor of the previous MISHAWAKA and in honor of Mishawaka, Indiana.
Naming a United States Navy vessel MISHAWAKA is a worthy request that aligns with naval tradition, linguistic meaning, and a deep-seated heritage of national defense. Derived from the Potawatomi term meaning “swift flowing water” or “heavy timbered rapids,” the name naturally evokes the power, adaptability, and relentless forward movement essential to a maritime warfighting unit. Furthermore, the City of Mishawaka possesses an exemplary legacy of military service and support, ranging from raising vital volunteer infantry regiments during the Civil War to serving as the manufacturing home of AM General, which produces the iconic Humvee for our armed forces. Commissioning a modern vessel with this name would also proudly revive a legacy of naval service previously held by the Natick-Class Large Harbor Tug Mishawaka (YTB-764), which supported the fleet in San Diego for decades. Naming a ship MISHAWAKA would honor American patriotism, celebrate Native American heritage, and project a legacy of industrial strength and swift-flowing power across the global commons.
The naming of a naval ship is one of the highest honors our Nation can bestow. On behalf of the Department of the Navy, I am privileged to receive numerous suggestions from veterans, Service Members, and citizens across the country. In making a selection, I am guided by the hallowed traditions of the naval service to honor states, cities, distinguished Service Members, national heroes, and foundational American ideals that inspire the courage and dedication of our Sailors and Marines. The process is a thoughtful and solemn one, weighing the many worthy recommendations for a limited number of vessels.
Please be assured that your suggestion has been formally received. It will be given full and earnest consideration as we select the names for the next generation of naval ships. Thank you again for your patriotism and for taking the time to share your proposal.
Articles by Josh Lange 
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