The U.S. Army will redesignate seven installations to honor service members whose actions span from the Civil War to the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, the service announced, describing the move as consistent with Section 1749(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. The honorees include five Medal of Honor recipients, three who earned the Distinguished Service Cross and one Silver Star recipient.
Each post will carry a familiar base name but will be attributed to a different figure than in the past, aligning the titles with soldiers recognized for valor in U.S. conflicts rather than Confederate leaders.
Fort Pickett, identified in the announcement as formerly Fort Barfoot, will commemorate 1st Lt. Vernon W. Pickett. The World War II officer earned the Distinguished Service Cross after advancing under machine-gun fire to eliminate two positions with grenades. Later captured, he escaped a transport with fellow prisoners, returned to his unit and was killed in action.
Fort Hood, listed as formerly Fort Cavazos, will recognize Col. Robert B. Hood for his World War I heroism. Then a captain near Thiaucourt, France, he directed artillery while exposed to intense fire; after his gun crew was lost, he quickly reorganized and resumed operations within minutes.
Fort Gordon, formerly Fort Eisenhower, will honor Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon, a Medal of Honor recipient for actions during the 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia. He volunteered to be inserted to protect wounded helicopter crew members at a crash site, held off a hostile force, and safeguarded the pilot even after expending all ammunition.
Fort Lee, formerly Fort Gregg-Adams, will take its name from Pvt. Fitz Lee, who received the Medal of Honor for rescuing wounded comrades during a coastal assault in Cuba in the Spanish-American War. He left a vessel under direct fire to bring fellow soldiers to safety.
Fort Polk, formerly Fort Johnson, will commemorate Gen. James H. Polk, recognized with the Silver Star for leading the 3rd Cavalry Group (Mechanized) across Europe in World War II. Then a colonel, he directed reconnaissance and combat missions under fire that helped drive Third Army advances as part of Task Force Polk, later serving as commander in chief of U.S. Army Europe.
Fort Rucker, formerly Fort Novosel, will be named for Capt. Edward W. Rucker, who earned the Distinguished Service Cross in World War I. As a first lieutenant flying deep behind enemy lines over France, he and fellow aviators engaged a larger enemy force, disrupted movements, and completed their mission despite the odds.
Fort A.P. Hill, formerly Fort Walker, will honor three Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: Lt. Col. Edward Hill, 1st Sgt. Robert A. Pinn, and Pvt. Bruce Anderson. Their actions took place in separate engagements at Cold Harbor, Chapin’s Farm, and Fort Fisher, respectively.
According to the announcement, the Secretary of the Army will move immediately to implement the changes. The Army did not release a detailed timeline or cost estimate for updating signage, maps and other references tied to the installations.
The redesignations reflect an effort to align base names with a broader set of American military heroes. While the Army in recent years removed Confederate names from its posts, the new slate reassigns several historically familiar titles to different honorees tied to acts of valor across multiple eras and theaters of war.
