Letter to Thomas Harker, Acting Secretary of the Navy - Congresswoman Jacobs Leads Letter to Navy Calling for Naming Ship After AAPI Hero, Fireman Telesforo Trinidad

Letter

Dear Acting Secretary Harker,

As Members of Congress, we strongly support naming a Navy Surface Combatant after a
Filipino sailor who received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1915 -- Fireman Second Class
Telesforo Trinidad.

Trinidad earned the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism in the line of duty during
boiler explosions onboard the USS San Diego (ACR-6) while the ship was underway in the Gulf
of California on January 21, 1915. Trinidad brought two crewmembers to safety in spite of his
own physical injuries from the explosion. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in accordance
with General Order Number 142 signed by the Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on April
1, 1915. The Medal of Honor, which was awarded during peacetime, highlights the importance
of service and sacrifice for shipmates and country not only during a time of war but during dayto-day operations. After 106 years, Trinidad still holds the distinction of being the only Asian
American and only Filipino American in the U.S. Navy to receive a Medal of Honor.

The naming of a ship after Trinidad is a resolute symbol of Navy leadership and commitment to
diversity, equality, and inclusion during this time of national racial tensions and unwarranted
violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It also marks the 75th anniversary of the
U.S. establishing diplomatic relations with the Republic of the Philippines and the 70th
anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

Equally important, it will honor the tens of thousands of Filipinos who have served faithfully and
loyally in the U.S. Navy since 1901. The USS Telesforo Trinidad will be the first ship to be
named after an American national of Filipino descent and will serve as a testament to the longstanding military and political alliance that exists between the Philippines and the United States
since 1898.

We look forward to your response and thank you for your service.

Sincerely,