Woodmere native Harvey Milk has face on Norwegian Air plane

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Harvey Milk, a human rights leader who became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S. and was born in Woodmere, has had his face painted on the tailfin of Norwegian Air’s newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Milk, who served as a city supervisor in San Francisco and was assassinated by a fellow politician in 1978, is the latest in a series of what Norwegian Air calls “tailfin heroes.” Along with his 20-foot high headshot, the inside bulkhead walls have captioned photos of the native Five Towner. He graduated from Bay Shore High School in 1947. 

The 338-seat jet will be based in London, flying to several of Norwegian's long-haul destinations, including San Francisco, where it launches service on March 31.

Several other famous Americans notables are on Norwegian’s tailfins, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, Sojourner Truth and Mark Twain. Milk is the fourth LGBTQ tailfin hero, after Freddie Mercury, Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde.