We asked readers if they support changing Fort Moore’s name to Benning. Here are the results
Newly appointed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth decided earlier this month to revert Fort Moore back to its original name of Fort Benning, effective immediately.
The decision came after Hegseth made complaints in the media about recent military base name changes and changed Fort Liberty’s name back to Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The base next to Columbus was renamed Fort Moore in 2023 in honor of U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia.
Before the 2023 change, the base bore the Fort Benning name for Henry Lewis Benning, a lawyer, politician, secessionist and Confederate general.
This time, the name Fort Benning will honor U.S. Army Cpl. Fred G. Benning, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his “extraordinary heroism in action during World War I with the U.S. Army in France in 1918,” according to the Department of Defense.
The Ledger-Enquirer asked readers if they agreed with the name change or thought the base should have remained Fort Moore. More than 1,300 people participated in the poll, with 68% saying they opposed changing the name back to Fort Benning. Thirty-two percent of readers said they welcomed the name change.
This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 6:00 AM.