Hegseth returns Army base to Fort Benning in second naming reversal
By Noah Robertson
Mar 3, 2025, 04:21 PM
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinstated the name “Fort Benning” on Monday for one of the nation’s largest military bases — the second such reversal he’s ordered and the first that requires actually removing the name of a U.S. service member.
The base, located in Columbus, Georgia, had been renamed Fort Moore after Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, whose memoir “We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young” chronicled his service in Vietnam. The name also commemorated his wife, Julia, who pushed the military to develop a more humane system for notifying family members of casualties.
Fort Moore, which was officially renamed in May 2023, was the first base named after a military family.
“I’m incredibly saddened,” said David Moore, the son of Hal and Julia, who helped lead the effort to rename the post after his parents. “My only conclusion is that [Hegseth] chose to reject Hal and Julia Moore.”
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2025/03/03/hegseth-returns-army-base-to-fort-benning-in-second-naming-reversal/