(StraightNews.org) – The last remaining US Army base named after a Confederate leader has been rebranded. Fort Gordon in Georgia is now Fort Eisenhower following a name-changing ceremony on October 27. The new name will honor former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who took charge of US forces in Europe during the Second World War.
Fort Eisenhower’s commander, Maj. Gen. Paul Stanton said Eisenhower’s “dedication to ensuring equal rights for soldiers and citizens alike continues to be an example and inspiration for the present and future soldiers.”
Fort Gordon was named after Confederate Lt. Gen. John Gordon, who led various Georgia regiments during the Civil War, including at the Battle of Gettysburg. After the war, he ran for the governorship of Georgia as a Democrat but was defeated by his Republican opponent. He was elected to the US Senate in 1873 but resigned in 1880 to pursue business interests in his home state.
Eventually elected Peach State governor after his return to politics in 1886, he left that role behind to go back to the Senate in Washington, DC, where he remained until his retirement in 1897.
The Pentagon announced in January that it would push forward with plans to rename military installations following recommendations from the Commission on the Naming of Items the previous summer.
The Department of Defense said the changes were a response to Black Lives Matter protests that took place across America in 2020, and honoring Confederate leaders was evidence of “systemic racism.”
The Commission’s recommendations led to several changes, including the renaming of Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which became known as Fort Liberty, and Fort Hood in Texas, which is now Fort Cavazos after Gen. Richard Cavazos, the first Hispanic soldier to earn a four-star rank in the American Army.
The US Army Academy at West Point and the US Naval Academy at Annapolis also removed statues and memorials commemorating Confederate leaders. The Commission said the changes were for the benefit of future generations.
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