Fort Moore, an Army base in Georgia used to train soldiers, was renamed to Fort Benning on Monday after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum reinstituting the base’s old name, saying in a statement it would be named after a World War I soldier and not confederate General Henry Benning, who the base was initially named after.
Hegseth signed the memorandum Monday. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Hegseth said the base’s renaming is in honor of Corporal Fred G. Benning, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his service during World War I, adding the change “underscores the installation's storied history of service to the United States of America.”
The military base, which was initially named after the Confederate general, could not be renamed in honor of Gen. Benning because of legislation prohibiting military honors for Confederate generals.
The change comes weeks after Hegseth changed the name of North Carolina’s Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg, in a similar maneuver that restored the old name without attributing it to a Confederate.
Fort Moore’s name honored Army Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, a Vietnam War veteran and author who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second-highest medal.
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Fort Moore received its name two years ago as part of a broad, bipartisan effort to rename landmarks and bases that honored Confederate soldiers. The push was led by a Department of Defense commission that provided renaming recommendations for bases, ships, streets and more named after Confederate soldiers. The commission was established in 2021 despite Trump’s opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act, the legislation that created the commission. Bipartisan majorities in Congress overrode a veto made by the president against the legislation. The push to change names was prompted by a national racial reckoning after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, which led to scrutiny of Confederacy-linked landmarks and installations for their associations with slavery and racism.
Hegseth has now renamed two bases back to names of veterans who share last names with Confederate generals. Hegseth said the Fort Liberty name change was to honor Private First Class Roland L. Bragg, a World War II veteran awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. Hegseth said repeatedly prior to his role as defense secretary that the names of bases honoring Confederate generals should be changed back, calling the renaming efforts “a sham,” “garbage,” and “crap,” according to CNN, which cited interviews Hegseth gave throughout 2024. Hegseth’s push to rename the bases aligns with President Donald Trump’s vow to do so on the campaign trail last year, when he promised to change Fort Liberty’s name back to Fort Bragg.
Defense Secretary Hegseth Renames Fort Liberty To Fort Bragg—But Not After The Confederate General (Forbes)