Hitchens is a well known author, journalist and militant atheist.

I don't think "militant" is the right word here. Militant christians shoot abortion doctors. Militant muslims employ suicide bombers. Militant leftists take hostages and hide in jungles, and militant authoritarians form lynch mobs.

Militant atheists, by comparison, write books and engage in debates & mockery (if Hitchens is any example).

Using this term to refer to unapologetic atheists is a tactic used by fundies who want to make the public fear and hate atheists as much as they fear and hate extremists who actually use deadly violence. I don't think we're well-served in adopting it.