Fort Benning, Fort Gordon and 7 Other Bases to Be Renamed

Dwight D. Eisenhower, George C. Marshall, Colin Powell and Harriet Tubman are among 87 candidates who have made the cut for the renaming of nine military installations that honor Confederate figures, including Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in Georgia.

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{snip} The Pentagon is expected to act on the commission’s recommendations by 2024.

America’s military bases, the Naming Commission said on its website, should “appropriately reflect the courage, values and sacrifices of our diverse military men and women, with consideration given to the local or regional significance of names and their potential to inspire and motivate our service members.”

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Fort Gordon, outside Augusta, Ga., is named after John Gordon, who commanded half of Robert E. Lee’s army during the Civil War. Among the recommendations the commission has received to replace Gordon’s name are Eisenhower, Tubman and Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. {snip}

Fort Benning, which sits just outside of Columbus, Ga., was named after Henry Benning, a Confederate general. Among the recommendations submitted for renaming Fort Benning were Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, who last year became the first African American recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan; Henry Flipper, who became the first Black man to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; and Pvt. Felix Hall, a Black soldier who was lynched on the post in 1941.

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