The Navy Should Name A Ship For Robert A. Heinlein

Early morning discussions revealed that Tim Kyger (Chair of the 1978 Iguanacon Worldcon and the Heinlein Centennial celebration) is working on petitioning the US Navy to name a ship after the celebrated author.

Robert A. Heinlein attended the Naval Acacemy from 1925 to 1929, graduating 20th in his class of 243, commissioned an Ensign, Heinlein briefly served abopard the battleships USS Utah, USS Oklahoma and USS Arkansas before being assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, serving aboard her from 1929 until 1932 and then later assigned to the destroyer DD USS Roper, serving aboard her from 1932 until his medical discharge in 1934.

During World War II, Heinlein attempted to reenlist but was denied on medical grounds. He ended up working at the Naval Aircraft Materials Center at the Philadelphia shipyard, where he put together a “science fiction dream team” consisting of himself, Isaac Asimov and L. Sprague deCamp, where they blue-skyed future military technologies, incuding work that would contribute to the development of Combat Information Centers (CICs).

Heinlein’s literary career hardly needs to be mentioned here; his Hugo Award Winning novel, Starship Troopers, is still read at most of the US military academies today.

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Tim Kyger is working on putting together a formal effort to have a navy ship named for the author. Until a website becomes active, he can be reached via email at tbkyger@gmail.com.

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Please feel free to copy and/or copy and edit this sample letter:

[Your Name/Organization]
[Your Address]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Date]

The Honorable Hung Cao
Acting Secretary of the Navy
1000 Navy Pentagon, Room 4D652
Washington, D.C. 20350-1000

SUBJECT: Request to Name a Future United States Naval Vessel after Lieutenant Robert A. Heinlein, USN (Ret.)

Mister Secretary,

I am writing to formally request that the Department of the Navy name a future United States Naval vessel in honor of the distinguished naval officer and legendary American author, Lieutenant Robert Anson Heinlein.

Lieutenant Heinlein’s deep-rooted connection to the U.S. Navy serves as an exemplary model of maritime service and intellectual contribution. A 1929 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Heinlein served on active duty until 1934. During his time at sea, he served with distinction aboard both destroyers and aircraft carriers—including the USS Roper (DD-147) and the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2). His firsthand operational experience during the formative years of naval aviation shaped a unique perspective on technology, leadership, and duty.

After medical disqualification cut his active naval career short, Heinlein translated his profound understanding of military culture and technical expertise into a pioneering career as one of the world’s greatest science fiction authors. His literary legacy directly shapes the strategic thinking of modern service members. Notably, his works—most famously Starship Troopers—remain seminal reading across all branches of the Armed Forces. They are routinely featured on official professional reading lists for the Marine Corps, Navy, Army, and Air Force. His exploration of civic responsibility, technological innovation, and leadership continues to inspire generations of military professionals.

Naming a modern warship after Robert A. Heinlein would uniquely honor both his active fleet service and his lasting legacy as a visionary who inspired the technical and strategic minds of today’s military. Thank you for your leadership and your consideration of this request to permanently anchor his name in the fleet he proudly served.

Respectfully submitted,

[Your Signature]

[Your Typed Name]
[Your Title]

Steve Davidson

Steve Davidson is the publisher of Amazing Stories.

Steve has been a passionate fan of science fiction since the mid-60s, before he even knew what it was called.

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