Here’s what the commission replacing Confederate names said about Fort Benning
Members of the congressional commission tasked with renaming Fort Benning said Columbus stakeholders offered a “handful” of potential new names for the post earlier this summer instead of a united effort behind a single choice.
Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule of the Naming Commission, the body tasked with providing recommendations to Congress for the removal or renaming of any Department of Defense asset that commemorates the Confederacy or its service members, said during a Thursday media round table that the late July visit went well as the Benning community was engaged in the renaming process.
At least four different names were mentioned at the meeting, Seidule said.
Three of them mentioned were Hal and Julie Moore, George C. Marshall and Ralph Puckett. Seidule couldn’t recall the fourth name. Benning’s commander, Maj. Gen. Pat Donahoe, told the Ledger-Enquirer before the commission’s visit that some supported the Maneuver Center of Excellence as an option.
Among those who attended the July meeting include Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson and Democratic State Rep. Calvin Smyre. Others invited to the Columbus meeting included “leaders of the (chamber of commerce,) religious leaders, community leaders downtown (and) former commanding generals of Fort Benning that live in the area,” Donahoe previously told the L-E.
“The Benning community was incredibly engaged,” said Seidule, who visited the post. “(Donahoe) did a great job of bringing in a really diverse community, and we got to hear all that. It was great engagement from the Columbus community and other communities outside there to tell us what they thought.”
Naming Commission chair Adm. Michelle Howard has most often heard suggestions to rename the post after Hal and Julie Moore, though there is quite a range of potential names. Some of the other communities visited by the Naming Commission have coalesced around a single choice, she said.
The Moores, George C. Marshall and Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. all have several ties to Benning.
Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, best known as the commander during the Vietnam War’s Battle of Ia Drang, trained multiple times at Benning. He and his wife, Julie, are buried on post.
George C. Marshall, a Nobel Peace prize recipient and statesman, led the Army’s infantry school in the post World War I-era. Korean War hero and Medal of Honor recipient Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. lives in Columbus and is a key figure for Benning’s Army Rangers.
Those aren’t the only names being considered. In September, the Naming Commission launched a website where people can recommend new names for military assets. Seidule said “many, many more” suggestions for Benning’s new name have been submitted online.
What’s next?
Benning’s name has to change: it’s mandated by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.
The Naming Commission presented its initial briefing to the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday. On Oct. 1, 2022, the commission will issue a final report that includes a list of identified assets, the costs to remove or rename them, and the criteria and methods developed to identify those assets.
Initial focus through the fall will be on the nine military installations named in honor of those who voluntarily served in the Confederacy.
Aside from Benning, those include:
- Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia
- Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Fort Gordon, Georgia
Fort Hood, Texas
Fort Lee, Virginia
Fort Pickett, Virginia
Fort Polk, Louisiana
Fort Rucker, Alabama
However, the mandate extends to streets, roads, buildings, ships and other items. Confederate grave markers will not be removed.
Feedback from local communities about new names for assets will be considered, but it will be the commission that makes the final recommendation regarding changes. It’s unclear if the commission will recommend a single name or several different possibilities for a military installation, Howard said.
The Secretary of Defense will implement the commission’s renaming plans before Jan. 1, 2024.
“We want to hear from the communities,” Howard said. “But they are not the commission, so they don’t have veto power over our final recommendation.
“The commission is going solicit all the input we can get and make sure we understand the preference of the community, if there is a unified preference,” she added.
The Naming Commission is accepting online name recommendations for military assets until 5 p.m. EST on Dec. 1. Visit thenamingcommission.gov/recommend-a-name to submit a name.
This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 11:09 AM.