By Wallace White, Daily Caller News Foundation | March 03, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth restored another famous military base to its original name Monday after the name was previously changed due to its Confederate association.
Hegseth changed the name of U.S. Army base Fort Moore in Columbus, Georgia, back to Fort Benning. But instead of honoring Confederate General Henry Benning, the fort will be named after Cpl. Fred Benning, who earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his service in France during World War I, according to the memo.
Former President Joe Biden’s administration changed the name in 2023 to Fort Moore after the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act required all confederate names to be stricken from DOD assets.
“CPL Benning was the living embodiment of the Infantryman’s Creed, as he never failed his country’s trust and fought to the objective to triumph for his unit and his country,” Hegseth said in the memo. “This directive honors the warfighter ethos and recognizes the heroes who have trained at the installation for decades and will continue to on its storied ranges.”
This is not the first time Hegseth has revived an old fort name by honoring a veteran with the same last name.
Hegseth reverted Fort Bragg to its original name from Fort Liberty, which was also changed under the Biden administration for its association with Confederate General Braxton Bragg. The fort now officially owes its name to Army PFC Ronald Bragg, a decorated World War II soldier.
“I was honored to be able to put my signature on that [memorandum], by the way, with the support of the president of the United States, who set the tone on this and said ‘I want Fort Bragg back,'” Hegseth said about the renaming of Fort Bragg. “We’re honored to support a private first class who received a Purple Heart and the Silver Star at the Battle of the Bulge.”
The 2021 NDAA compelled the secretary of defense to enact the plan to rename the bases honoring Confederate generals.
The Pentagon declined to comment beyond the memo and public announcement.
Wallace White is a contributor at the Daily Caller News Foundation
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