After years of delay and resistance from right-wing politicians and organizations, the U.S. is finally moving to change the names of iconic military installations from treasonous Confederate leaders to genuine American heroes. Starting in January, implementing the Naming Commission's choices, forts named for such Confederate traitors as Gen. George Pickett, Gen. Leonidas Polk, and Gen. Henry Benning have had their names removed and replaced by American heroes, respectively Medal of Honor winner Col. Van Barfoot, Sgt. William Henry Johnson, and Lt. Gen. Hal Moore. Today, Ft. Bragg, in North Carolina, has been renamed Ft. Liberty, a reminder of the basic human right denied to African American slaves in the Confederacy.
A list of the 9 bases undergoing renaming are:
Fort Benning, Ga. – rename Fort Moore after Lt. Gen. Hal and Julia Moore.
Fort Bragg, N.C. – rename Fort Liberty after the value of liberty.
Fort Gordon, Ga. – rename Fort Eisenhower after General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower.
Fort A.P. Hill, Va. – rename Fort Walker after Dr. Mary Walker.
Fort Hood, Texas – rename Fort Cavazos after Gen. Richard Cavazos.
Fort Lee, Va. – rename Fort Gregg-Adams after Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams.
Fort Pickett, Va. – rename Fort Barfoot after Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot.
Fort Polk, La. – rename Fort Johnson after Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
Fort Rucker, Ala. – rename Fort Novosel after Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Novosel, Sr.
Much like having memorials and statues to Confederate traitors removed from public places, the renaming of U.S. military installations rights a wrong done not only to African-Americans in naming the forts after their tormentors, but to the Union soldiers who died to stop the Confederacy from destroying the United States.
(photo: ABC News)
