MONTGOMERY, Ala — Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reverted the name of Fort Moore, Georgia, to its previous name, Fort Benning. The Army base was originally named after Confederate General Henry L. Benning. This is the second military base that has been renamed by the Trump administration.
“Secretary Hegseth’s unilateral actions stand in sharp contrast to the bipartisan, democratic process that led to the removal of Confederate names from nine military bases in 2023,” said Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center. “By reverting the name, this administration is choosing to endorse a horrific part of American history that celebrated slavery. Instead of honoring the brave Americans who fought to unite this country, Hegseth is intentionally seeking subtle ways to glorify traitorous men. The American people understand the legacy connected to the original name and Secretary Hegseth’s disingenuous attempt to associate it to a separate soldier is transparent and distasteful.”
The National Defense Authorization Act, which mandated the removal of the names of Confederate generals, passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2020 — enough to override President Trump’s veto.
Henry L. Benning was a radical secessionist and ardent defender of slavery. In 1850, he wrote that “the doctrine of states” rights will be the only security for slavery. In place of this white supremacist, the bipartisan Naming Commission chose to honor Lt. Gen. Harold “Hal” Moore, a veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, who earned the Distinguished Service Cross for valor, as well as his wife Julie, an activist and ardent supporter of military families.
“The Moores represent American values and deserve this distinction,” said Huang. “Henry Benning is not worthy of this honor.”