Proposed names include women, African American service members, Native Americans, and Latinos, a look at the various ranks the U.S. military has benefited from over the years. The commission, however, also recommended changing the name of some of the bases to white men.
The Names Commission suggested changing the name of Fort AP Hill, the name of a Confederate general, to Fort Walker. Dr. Mary Walker was the first female surgeon in the Army and eventually received the Medal of Honor for her service during the Civil War.
Fort Polk in Louisiana, also named after a Confederate general, could become Fort Johnson in honor of the sgt. William Henry Johnson. The African-American soldier is considered one of the first heroes of World War I after fighting alone against some two dozen Germans, killing at least four. He was later posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Fort Bragg, one of the largest military installations in the world, could be called Fort Liberty, according to the commission’s recommendations, the only facility named after an American value an individual or group of people.
The renaming of the bases with Confederate nicknames became a hot political issue in the last months of the Trump administration, when then-President Donald Trump criticized the idea, accusing others of wanting to “throw those names away. “.
Trump had vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021, which included the Nominations Commission, but in the last days of his administration, Congress delivered its first and only veto during his tenure, passing legislation with an overwhelming bipartisan support.
The nomenclature committee requested suggestions for possible new names on U.S. Army bases through a public website. They received more than 34,000 communications for possible names to rename the bases, Brig. Retired U.S. Army General Ty Seidule told the Naming Commission Vice President during a roundtable on Tuesday.
From 34,000 suggestions, the commission reduced the list to 3,670 names as potential candidates, then to 87, and finally to the list of recommendations they published today.
“All the names originated or resonated with local communities. The feedback we received helped us narrow down the options and was vital in helping us reach our final recommendations,” Seidule said.
In addition to AP Hill, Polk and Bragg Forts, the commission recommended that Georgia’s Fort Benning could be renamed Fort Moore after Lieutenant General Hal and Julia Moore. Hal Moore served in the Army from 1945 to 1977, with assignments in Japan, Korea, Norway, and Vietnam.
Fort Gordon in Georgia could become Fort Eisenhower after Army General Dwight Eisenhower, who went on to serve as the nation’s 34th president. Fort Hood in Texas could be renamed Fort Cavazos in honor of General Richard Cavazos, who served in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
The commission also proposed changing the name of Virginia’s Fort Lee to Fort Gregg-Adams after Lieutenant General Arthur Gregg and Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams. Gregg helped eliminate Army segregation, including at Fort Lee, while Adams, in 1944, “was selected to command the first unit of African American women to serve abroad.” His mission was to lead the 6888 Central Postal Directory in England.
Meanwhile, Fort Pickett in Virginia could be renamed Fort Barfoot after Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot, who served for 34 years, including World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. And the commission suggested that Fort Rucker in Alabama should be renamed Fort Novosel after NCO in Chief 4 Michael J. Novosel, Sr., who served in World War II, the Korean War, and World War II. Vietnam, where he conducted 2,543 medical evacuation missions. according to the commission.