Fort Hood was named in 1942 to honor John Bell Hood, a Confederate general who led Texas troops in the Civil War. The Army will rename the post to Fort Cavazos in a ceremony scheduled for May 9, and change signs such as this one seen at the main gate. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes)
AUSTIN, Texas — The Army on Friday began hosting a series of formal ceremonies to change the names of nine southern bases that honor Confederate generals from the Civil War.
Fort Pickett, a Virginia National Guard base, transitioned to Fort Barfoot in a ceremony Friday. The post first named to honor Confederate Gen. George Pickett, who is widely known for the Battle of Gettysburg, is now named for Col. Van T. Barfoot, a World War II veteran who received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a technical sergeant during the 1944 Battle of Anzio in Italy.
Employees make signs using the “Fort Barfoot” name to replace existing “Fort Pickett” signs on March 6 at Fort Pickett, Va. (Mike Vrabel/U.S. National Guard)
The Army also announced Friday that Fort Hood will soon transition from its Confederate-linked name to Fort Cavazos in honor of Gen. Richard Cavazos, a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars. That ceremony scheduled for May 9, officials at the Texas post said.
Cavazos, a Texas native, was the first Hispanic man to reach the rank of four-star general. He was awarded the Silver Star and a Distinguished Service Cross for his service in the Korean War. He received a second Distinguished Service Cross during the Vietnam War.
“Gen. Cavazos’ combat proven leadership, his moral character, and his loyalty to his soldiers and their families, made him the fearless yet respected and influential leader that he was during the time he served, and beyond,” said Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, commander of the III Armored Corps and Fort Hood.
Fort Hood, Texas, will formally change its name to Fort Cavazos in a ceremony scheduled for May 9. Gen. Richard Cavazos was a Texas native and the first Hispanic man to become a four-star general in the Army. (U.S. Army photo)
Fort Hood is one of nine Army installations to have their names changes under a 2021 federal law seeking to strip the Defense Department of names honoring the Confederacy. The Texas base is named for John Bell Hood, who resigned his U.S. Army commission and became the Confederate general to lead Texas forces in the Civil War.
The next scheduled ceremony April 10 will transition Fort Rucker, Ala., to Fort Novosel. Fort Lee, Va., will follow April 27. The base will be called Fort Gregg-Adams.
Fort Benning, Ga., is scheduled to become Fort Moore on May 11, and Fort Bragg, N.C., will become Fort Liberty on June 2. Fort Polk, La., will become Fort Johnson on June 13.
The remaining bases with pending names changes are Fort Gordon, Ga., and Fort A.P. Hill, Va. They will become Fort Eisenhower and Fort Walker, respectively.
All changes must be complete by Jan. 1, according to federal law. The new names were chosen to through a detailed process that included community input and sought to honor veterans from within the geographic region of each base or reflect the mission of the post.
Barfoot, who also served in the Army during the Korean and Vietnam wars, retired to Virginia and died in 2012 at the age of 92.
Cavazos was first assigned to Fort Hood in 1953 and returned in 1980 to serve as the commander of Fort Hood’s III Corps. He then took over as commander of Army Forces Command. Cavazos retired from the Army in 1984 and lived the remainder of his life in San Antonio. He died Oct. 29, 2017, and is buried at San Antonio’s Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
