March 3 (UPI) -- The Pentagon announced Monday that Fort Moore in Georgia will return to its former name of Fort Benning, with the restored name honoring a different Benning than the Confederate general.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the base will be named after Corporal Fred G. Benning, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his "extraordinary heroism in action during World War I with the U.S. Army in France in 1918."
"After the enemy killed his platoon commander and disabled two senior non-commissioned officers, Cpl. Benning took command of the surviving 20 men of his company and courageously led them through heavy fire to their assigned objective in support of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive," Hegseth wrote in a statement. "After returning home, Cpl. Benning continued his selfless service and became mayor of Neligh, Neb." Benning died in 1974.
The U.S. Army base was previously named after Lt. Gen. Henry Benning, a Confederate general, before the congressional Naming Commission renamed it Fort Moore in 2022 to honor Hal and Julie Moore. It was the first time a base was named to honor a couple with Hal's 32-year career in the Army and Julie's support as a spouse as she fought for the personal delivery of death notices.
In 2022, the congressional Naming Commission suggested name changes for nine U.S. Army facilities that had been named for Confederate leaders, including Fort Benning and Fort Bragg.
Hegseth said his goal of returning the bases to their original names, while honoring different leaders, is to "restore those connections for service members."
"This change underscores the installation's storied history of service to the United States of America, honors the warfighter ethos and recognizes the heroes who have trained at the installation for decades and will continue to train on its storied ranges," Hegseth said.
While Steve Moore, one of Hal and Julie Moore's sons, expressed disappointment over Fort Moore's renaming, Hegseth vowed to honor their service.
"As we rename Fort Benning, I further direct the Army to honor the legacy of Lt. Gen. Hal Moore's storied military service and Ms. Julia Moore's family and casualty notification advocacy in a manner that celebrates their significant contributions to the local community and the Army," Hegseth said.
Last month, Hegseth restored another military base to its original name, renaming Fort Liberty in North Carolina to Fort Bragg as he honored a World War II hero over the original Confederate leader.
