海角大神

Nine U.S. military bases named in honor of Confederate soldiers are getting new names under legislation passed in the wake of nationwide anti-racism protests sparked by the 2020 killing of George Floyd.

The congressionally created Naming Commission 鈥渟ought to find names that would be inspirational to the Soldiers and civilians who serve on our Army posts, and to the communities who support them,鈥� chairman Michelle Howard, a retired admiral, said in a statement last week.聽

The eight-member panel 鈥� which includes a former commandant of the Marine Corps, a general who chaired the history department at West Point, and Ms.聽Howard, who is the first Black woman to command a Navy ship and first woman ever to reach the rank of four-star admiral 鈥� received more than 34,000 suggestions from the public.聽

After narrowing their choices down to fewer than 100 earlier this year, the panel selected the final list unanimously. Slated to be put in place by 2023, pending approval by Congress and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, it will mark the first time U.S. bases will bear the name of women or Black military heroes.聽

In a move with bipartisan resonance, the choices also include a former Republican president and the value of liberty. 鈥淲e were reminded that courage has no boundaries by man-made categories of race, color, gender, religion, or creed,鈥� Ms. Howard said.聽

Here are the (along with the current base names) and the story behind them.

Fort Barfoot (Fort Pickett, Virginia)

Under fire in Italy during World War II,聽Van T. Barfoot聽crawled alone to a German machine gun nest and destroyed it. He moved to another nest and did the same thing. A third German gun crew surrendered to Technical Sergeant Barfoot after watching him in action. But his day was only half over, the commission notes. As German forces counterattacked, he stopped the lead tank in its tracks with a Bazooka. The other tanks turned around. His Medal of Honor citation praises his 鈥渁ggressive determination in the face of pointblank fire.鈥� A member of the Choctaw tribe, retired Colonel Barfoot made news at age 90 after installing a 21-foot flagpole in his yard against the aesthetic wishes of his homeowners association, uniting Democrats and Republicans who convinced the association to relent.

Fort Cavazos (Fort Hood, Texas)

Raised on a Texas ranch,聽Richard Cavazos聽led a company of Puerto Rican soldiers during the Korean War, earning the Distinguished Service Cross 鈥� the nation鈥檚 second-highest honor for valor. In Vietnam he was the exceptional commander who fought in the field with his infantry battalion and earned the Distinguished Service Cross again. He was the first Latino American to become a one-star and, later, a four-star general.聽

Fort Eisenhower (Fort Gordon, Georgia)

At the outbreak of World War II,聽Dwight Eisenhower聽held the rank of lieutenant colonel; by 1943 he was a four-star general leading combined ground, air, and sea forces on D-day 鈥渋n the greatest amphibious landing in history,鈥� the commission notes. Later, serving two terms as the nation鈥檚 chief executive, President Eisenhower 鈥渇orged a moderate path that oversaw eight years of national prosperity at home and relative peace abroad.鈥澛�

Fort Gregg-Adams (Fort Lee, Virginia)

Lt. Gen.聽Arthur Gregg聽helped to desegregate the Army 鈥渇rom the ground up鈥� when he applied for Officer Candidate School in 1948, later commanding a supply battalion in Vietnam. He also desegregated the Fort Lee Officers鈥� Club, where he held his retirement ceremony.聽

In 1944, 25 year-old聽Charity Adams聽was tapped to command the first unit of Black women to serve in war. They were 鈥渁 lifeline,鈥� delivering some 65,000 letters a day to the 7 million soldiers. 鈥淕ender discrimination limited her promotion to lieutenant colonel, the highest rank attainable by any woman during the war,鈥� the commission notes. 鈥淏ut her effectiveness was made clear when it took three units of men to replace her battalion after they disbanded.鈥�

Fort Johnson (Fort Polk, Louisiana)

Wounded by a World War I German raiding party sent to 鈥渒ill as many sleeping soldiers as possible,鈥� Pvt.聽William Henry Johnson聽sounded the alarm before 鈥渟ingle-handedly鈥� fighting off some two dozen raiders, including using his bolo knife 鈥渁t close quarters鈥� to rescue a wounded comrade being carried off. He was dubbed 鈥淏lack Death,鈥� but upon returning to Jim Crow America, then-Sergeant Johnson was not awarded equal benefits as white troops, the commission notes. 鈥淯nable to effectively work as a result of his wounds,鈥� Mr. Johnson died destitute in 1929. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2015.聽

Fort Liberty (Fort Bragg, North Carolina)

鈥淧erhaps no value has proved more essential to the United States and the history of its military than Liberty,鈥� the commission notes, adding that it was the overwhelming choice of the local community.

Fort Moore (Fort Benning, Georgia)

The base will be renamed after a married couple, 鈥渆xemplifying the service of modern military families.鈥澛�Hal Moore聽led the first major engagement of the Vietnam War, in which 80 troops were killed in 72 hours, demonstrating 鈥渉ow devastating [war] could become,鈥� the commission notes, 鈥渢hough Moore鈥檚 skill as a commander undoubtedly reduced the losses.鈥�

On the home front, Hal鈥檚 wife聽Julia Moore聽and their five children were moved off-base 鈥� then standard Army policy for families once husbands were deployed. News of deaths were 鈥渄elivered by taxi drivers unprepared to relay such information.鈥� Julia began accompanying cabbies to 鈥済ive compassionate condolences.鈥� Her complaints to the Pentagon led to the creation of casualty notification teams and survivor support networks.

Fort Novosel (Fort Rucker, Alabama)

After flying bomber planes during World War II and in Korea,聽Michael Novosel Sr., volunteered to serve in Vietnam, too. Upon learning the Air Force had too many senior officers, he resigned his commission as a聽lieutenant colonel聽and flew helicopters as a warrant officer, evacuating combat casualties. He flew 2,542 missions, including rescuing his aviator son, whose own helicopter was shot down. One week later, Michael Novosel, Jr., returned the favor by rescuing his dad, who was ultimately awarded the Medal of Honor for valor.

Fort Walker (Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia)

A skilled surgeon, Mary Edwards Walker聽volunteered to serve as a military doctor in the Civil War, but was turned away. Refusing offers to work as a nurse, Dr. Walker proved herself treating wounded fighters and was ultimately hired as the Army鈥檚 first female surgeon. Crossing enemy lines to treat troops, she was arrested as a Confederate spy then later freed in a prisoner exchange. Nominated for a Medal of Honor by Gen. William Sherman, Walker became the first 鈥� and only 鈥� woman to be awarded one in 1865. In her retirement years, she was 鈥渄erided, detained, and arrested鈥� campaigning for equal rights for women.