Virginia Army base renamed in honor of Native American war hero; first of 9 Army bases to drop Confederate name

An Military base in Blackstone, Virginia, formally modified its title from “Fort Pickett” to “Fort Barfoot” Friday in honor of Col. Van Barfoot, a World Struggle II Medal of Honor recipient.

Earlier this 12 months, the Pentagon started the method of renaming 9 Military bases, and a whole bunch of different objects, which had names honoring the Confederacy. The choice to take action was handed down by the Naming Fee, which was created in 2021 for this function.

“Fort Pickett is the primary of 9 Military installations to be redesignated this 12 months, and I couldn’t consider a extra becoming soldier to have the primary honor,” director of the Military Nationwide Guard, Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, stated in a ceremony Friday. “Due to this historic renaming in honor of one in all America’s nice heroes, members of the Military and our nation will certainly know of the impression Col. Barfoot had on our nation.”

The Naming Fee is an impartial panel created by Congress tasked with reviewing and renaming navy property bearing the names of Accomplice leaders.

Fort Barfoot is the one one of many 9 being redesignated which is a Nationwide Guard set up, based on the Virginia Nationwide Guard. 

Barfoot’s youngsters attended Friday’s ceremony, together with representatives from Virginia-based Native American tribes and the Choctaw Nation — the tribe that his maternal grandmother was a member of.

“Our household is so happy with the person we referred to as Dad, Granddad, and Nice Granddad, for the love he shared, the instance he set and his lifetime of service to others,” Barfoot’s daughter, Margaret Nicholls, stated.

On Could 9, Fort Hood will change into the following Military base to obtain an official title, officers introduced Friday. It is going to be renamed in honor of Gen. Richard Edward Cavazos, a Texas-born Korean and Vietnam warfare hero.

“We’re proud to be renaming Fort Hood as Fort Cavazos in recognition of an excellent American hero, a veteran of the Korea and Vietnam wars and the primary Hispanic to succeed in the rank of four-star basic in our Military,” stated Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe in an announcement.