USNS Cesar Chavez, launched on 5 May 2012

On May 5, 2012, Cesar Chavez became one of the first Latinos to have a naval ship named after him honoring his service as a seaman in the U.S. Navy from 1946-1948. 

USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE-14), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship, is the first ship operated by the United States Navy to be named for Cesar Chavez (1927–1993), labor leader and civil rights activist. Chávez joined the Navy at the age of seventeen in 1944 during World War II, and served for two years.

Cesar Chavez's keel was laid down on 9 May 2011 by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego. The ship was launched on 5 May 2012.