Klein, Texas – The US Department of Defense is set to rename Fort Hood, Texas, America’s largest active-duty armored military center, to honor a four-star Hispanic general in place of his original name, Confederate General.
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin Pending Change Thursday in A Note to Senior Pentagon Officials He agreed to a recommendation that the base be called Fort Cavazos. This name was previously recommended by the Naming Committee, which was created by Congress to propose new names or remove names and symbols commemorating Confederate personalities.
Federal officials have until January 1, 2024 to finalize the transition. The change is part of a broader movement from the Naming Committee to the Ministry of Defense rename 1111 installations and facilities. Eight other military bases whose names derive from the personalities of the Confederacy have also been determined to change their names.
“The names of these facilities and facilities should inspire all who call them home, fully reflect the history and values of the United States, and commemorate the republic we are all sworn to protect,” Austin said in the memo. .
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Fort Hood has about 40,000 soldiers. It was permanently established in 1950 and named after General John Bell Hood, who commanded the Texas Brigade of the Confederate Army at the time of the Civil War. The fort is located in Peel County, where 26.5% of the population is Hispanic.
new name General Richard Cavazos will honorHe is the first Spanish four-star general in Texas.
Born during the Great Depression, Cavazos grew up on his family’s farm in Texas. From an early age, he demonstrated a dedication to the military by enrolling in the ROTC program at what is now Texas Tech University right after high school. The first thing that caught his attention was during the Korean War, when he returned to the raging battlefield five times to recover fellow wounded soldiers, according to the Naming Committee. For his actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the country’s second highest military honor for valor.
Years later, he returned to the original ROTC program, but as a professor of military science. But that wasn’t the end of his time on the battlefield. In the Vietnam War, Cavazos frequently commanded the Infantry Battalion Front. His actions in Vietnam earned him another cross of service.
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