Army to Rename 7 Installations

Army to Rename 7 Installations

The front gate of Fort Hood, Texas.
Photo by: U.S. Army

Seven Army installations renamed in 2023 will be renamed once again in honor of soldiers who were decorated for heroic actions in conflicts from the Civil War through the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, the Army said in a news release.

The changes were first announced by President Donald Trump during a June 10 visit to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to kick off the Army’s 250th birthday celebrations. They follow orders earlier this year by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to rename Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg in honor of Pfc. Roland Bragg, a World War II Silver Star recipient. He then renamed Fort Moore, Georgia, back to Fort Benning in honor of Cpl. Fred Benning, who received the Distinguished Service Cross during World War I.

Each of the nine installations had been renamed in 2023 following the recommendations of an eight-member commission that was tasked by Congress to remove Confederate names, symbols, displays and monuments from DoD properties.

According to the release, the Army “will take necessary actions” to change the names of the other seven installations that were renamed, only now they will honor soldiers who fought for the U.S. Army.

Five of the soldiers received the Medal of Honor, three received the Distinguished Service Cross and one received the Silver Star.

In Virginia, Fort Pickett, formerly Fort Barfoot, is renamed in honor of World War II Distinguished Service Cross recipient 1st Lt. Vernon Pickett. While pinned down by enemy machine-gun fire, Pickett crawled forward and destroyed two enemy positions with grenades, according to the Army. After being captured, he escaped from a transport train with fellow prisoners of war and rejoined his unit before being killed in action.

Fort Lee, Virginia, formerly Fort Gregg-Adams, is renamed for Medal of Honor recipient Pvt. Fitz Lee for his heroism during the Spanish-American War. During a coastal assault in Cuba, Lee voluntarily disembarked under direct enemy fire to rescue wounded comrades from the battlefield, the Army said.

Virginia’s Fort A.P. Hill, formerly Fort Walker, honors Medal of Honor recipients Lt. Col. Edward Hill, 1st Sgt. Robert Pinn and Pvt. Bruce Anderson. During the Civil War, then-Capt. Hill, Pinn and Anderson executed significant actions separately at Cold Harbor and Chapin’s Farm in Virginia and Fort Fisher, North Carolina, in support of the U.S. Army, the news release says.

In Texas, Fort Hood, formerly Fort Cavazos, is renamed in honor of Distinguished Service Cross recipient Col. Robert Hood for his heroic actions during World War I. Under heavy enemy shelling near Thiaucourt, France, then-Capt. Hood directed artillery fire under enfilading machine-gun fire. After his gun crew was lost to enemy fire, he rapidly reorganized and returned fire within minutes, restoring combat capability, according to the Army.

Fort Rucker, Alabama, formerly Fort Novosel, is renamed in honor of Distinguished Service Cross recipient Capt. Edward Rucker for his heroism in World War I. Flying deep behind enemy lines, then-1st Lt. Rucker and his fellow aviators engaged a numerically superior enemy force in a daring aerial battle over France, disrupting enemy movements and completing their mission against overwhelming odds, the Army said.

Fort Gordon, Georgia, formerly Fort Eisenhower, is renamed for Medal of Honor recipient Master Sgt. Gary Gordon for his valor during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. A Delta Force sniper, Gordon and fellow sniper Sgt. 1st Class Randy Shughart volunteered to be inserted to defend wounded crew members at a helicopter crash site and held off an advancing enemy force, protecting the pilot after exhausting all his ammunition, according to the Army.

Fort Polk, Louisiana, formerly Fort Johnson, is named in honor of Silver Star recipient Gen. James Polk for his actions as commanding officer of the 3rd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) during operations across Europe in World War II. According to the Army, then-Col. Polk led reconnaissance and combat missions under fire, spearheading Third Army advances as part of Task Force Polk. He later was commander in chief of U.S. Army Europe.