Panel makes its pick for Fort Gordon’s new name

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The navy base renaming fee has chosen Fort Eisenhower as its suggestion for the brand new title of Fort Gordon.

The fee has been tasked with recommending new names for navy installations which can be named in honor of individuals with ties to the Confederacy.

The panel will ahead its suggestions to Congress in by Oct. 1.

After the fee’s official suggestion, the U.S. Division of Protection will likely be charged with executing base renamings no later than Jan. 1, 2024.

Fort Gordon was named after John Gordon, a Accomplice basic. He went on to change into a U.S. senator and Georgia governor.

As Fort Eisenhower, the submit could be named in honor of Dwight D. Eisenhower, a World Warfare II basic who went on to change into the thirty fourth U.S. president.

The submit’s hospital already bears the Eisenhower title.

Rep. Rick Allen, R-Augusta, mentioned if Fort Gordon have to be renamed, he’s proud of it changing into Fort Eisenhower.

“We made it clear to the Naming Fee that, ought to the bottom be renamed, our group hoped it could change into Fort Eisenhower – in reference to the previous president’s deep ties to the Augusta space. I’m glad the Fee has taken this suggestions under consideration in its suggestion,” Allen mentioned in an announcement Tuesday afternoon.

He mentioned from the second the renaming initiative was introduced, his workforce has labored side-by-side with members of the area people to make sure that, if the bottom needed to be renamed, its new title would mirror each the historical past of this space in addition to the importance of Fort Gordon’s mission.

Allen beforehand signed onto a letter to the fee urging it to think about the widespread group help for the title Fort Eisenhower when making its official suggestion.

The fee is making these different suggestions to Congress for 9 Military posts at the moment named after Accomplice officers:

• Fort Benning, Ga. – rename as Fort Moore after Lt. Gen. Hal and Julia Moore.
• Fort Bragg, N.C. – rename as Fort Liberty after the worth of liberty.
• Fort A.P. Hill, By way of. – rename as Fort Walker after Dr. Mary Walker.
• Fort Hood, Texas – rename as Fort Cavazos after Gen. Richard Cavazos.
• Fort Lee, Va. – rename as Fort Gregg-Adams after Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams.
• Fort Pickett, Va. – rename as Fort Barfoot after Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot.
• Fort Polk, La. – rename as Fort Johnson after Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
• Fort Rucker, Ala. – rename as Fort Novosel after Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Novosel Sr.

Whereas there are different installations with names linked to the Confederacy, the fee is empowered to make suggestions just for Division of Protection property and never Nationwide Guard installations.

The congressional fee’s mission is “offering naming, renaming, and removing suggestions to Congress for all Division of Protection objects that commemorate the Accomplice States of America or any one that served voluntarily with the Accomplice States of America.”

It accepted greater than 34,000 suggestions for renaming installations. From there, it recognized 3,670 distinctive names potential use. Utilizing standards that will likely be detailed within the ultimate report and aided by a workforce of historians, the fee reviewed the record and performed deliberations to slim the record to fewer than 100 whole names.

The fee mentioned its standards centered on “making certain the names thought of for navy installations appropriately mirrored the braveness, values, sacrifices and demographics of the women and men in our armed forces, with consideration given to the native or regional significance of names and their potential to encourage and encourage service members.”

The panel is made up of Adm. Michelle Howard, U.S. Navy, Retired (chair); Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, U.S. Military, Retired, (vice chair); Chair Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, U.S. Military, Retired; Jerry Buchannan; Gen. Robert Neller, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired; Lawrence Romo; Dr. Kori Schake; and U.S. Rep. Austin Scott (Georgia).

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