The Naming Commission, as it is officially known, also assessed Fort Belvoir in Virginia, which was originally named for Army Major General Andrew A. Humphreys in 1917, but renamed in 1935 after the colonial-era plantation that once on his grounds. The panel decided that renaming Belvoir fell short of its mandate, but advised the Pentagon to conduct its own assessment.
“This was an exhaustive process that involved hundreds of hours of research, community involvement and internal deliberations,” said retired Navy Admiral Michelle Howard, the committee’s chair. “This recommendation list features American heroes whose stories deserve to be told and remembered; people who have fought for our nation and made many sacrifices.”
According to the committee’s recommendations, Fort Gordon, in Georgia, would become Fort Eisenhower, after Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was a five-star general in the military before becoming president. Fort AP Hill in Virginia would become Fort Walker, named after Dr. Mary Walker, an army surgeon and known abolitionist during the Civil War.
Fort Hood, in Texas, would become Fort Cavazos, after General Richard Cavazos, who received a Silver Star for bravery during the Korean War and who became the first general of the Spanish Army, a four-star officer. Fort Pickett in Virginia would become Fort Barfoot, after Colonel Van T. Barfoot, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his role in intense combat against German soldiers near Carano, Italy, during World War II. He later gained attention for successfully fighting his homeowners association to fly an American flag in his front yard.
Fort Polk, in Louisiana, would become Fort Johnson, after William Henry Johnson, an African American Army sergeant who became one of the first Americans to receive the Croix de Guerre Avec Palme, the French award for the highest bravery, for bravery during a battle against German soldiers during the First World War.
Fort Rucker, Alabama, would become Fort Novosel after Michael Novosel, who relinquished the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve and became a senior officer in the military, which sent him to Vietnam. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery while conducting a medical evacuation under fire during the Vietnam War.
