Fort Gordon should be renamed Fort Eisenhower, commission says

After more than 65 years as Fort Gordon, Augusta's U.S. Army base is poised to be renamed Fort Eisenhower.

"Eisenhower spent a lifetime in service to the nation, starting as a West Point cadet in 1911 and finishing as president 50 years later," said Ty Seidule, a member of the commission and retired brigadier general in the Army. "Eisenhower also had a very close relationship with the greater Augusta communities."

A congressional commission tasked with renaming military installations honoring Confederate soldiers, including Fort Gordon and Fort Benning, announced the new names on Tuesday. The announcement follows a short list of less than 100 names released in March.

Rep. Rick Allen, R-Augusta, applauded the decision.

"We made it clear to the Naming Commission that, should the base be renamed, our community hoped it would become Fort Eisenhower – in reference to the former president's deep ties to the Augusta area," he was quoted as saying in a news release from his office. "I am glad the Commission has taken this feedback into account in its recommendation."

Fort Gordon already houses the Eisenhower Army Medical Center.

Fort Benning will be renamed Fort Moore, after married couple Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and Julia Moore.

Hal Moore served in a variety of positions, including in the early days of the Vietnam war, as well as overseeing the transition to an all volunteer force. Julia Moore helped create casualty notification teams, who still inform families when service members are killed.

Related: Short list released of new names for Fort Gordon

The Naming Commission was created by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to rename any military assets that commemorate the Confederacy or those who served in the Confederacy. They identified nine military installations to be renamed, including Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Rucker in Alabama, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Forts A.P. Hill, Lee and Pickett in Virginia along with the Georgia bases.

Read: Full statement and biographies of new military instillation namesakes

Fort Hood will be renamed as Fort Cavazos, after Gen. Richard Cavazos; Fort Rucker will be renamed Fort Novosel, after Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael J. Novosel Sr.; Fort Polk will be renamed Fort Johnson, after Sgt. William Henry Johnson; Fort A.P. Hill will be renamed Fort Walker, after Dr. Mary Walker; Fort Lee will be renamed Fort Gregg-Adams, after Lt. Gen. Arthur Greggs and Lt. Col. Charity Adams; and Fort Pickett will be renamed Fort Barfoot, after Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot. Fort Bragg will be renamed Fort Liberty – the only installation not named for a person.

"Every name either originated from, or resonated with, the local communities," Seidule said. "The feedback we received helped us in narrowing our options and helping us reach our final recommendations."

It is not clear which community members participated in the discussion, although Seidule did say that community members approved of the name Eisenhower. The commission asked each base commander to bring in a diverse group of community members to give feedback.

If adopted, these recommendations would mark the first time a U.S. Army base has been named for a Black person – Johnson, Greggs and Adams – or for a woman.

Buildings, hills honoring Confederacy on Georgia bases among items considered for renaming

More: Confederate heritage remains engraved on Fifth Street bridge

Fort Gordon was established during World War II as Camp Gordon and named for Confederate Lt. Gen. John Brown Gordon. It was designated as Fort Gordon in 1956. Although the commissioners did not elaborate on the short list for each base, commissioner Lawrence Romo did say that Sgt. Jose Mendoza Lopez, a medal of honor recipient from World War II, was also considered for Fort Gordon.

What's in a name? 5 soldiers on short list for renamed Fort Gordon – plus 2 more

Besides bases, the commission is also reviewing other military assets. More than 750 different buildings, roads, ships and other items at military installations across the country will be reviewed to see if they commemorate the Confederacy. The commissioners said some of the 87 names on the short list for the bases that were not used might be considered for these other assets.

The final report with the recommendations will go to Congress by Oct. 1, and from there to the Secretary of Defense.

"We do not tell the United States Congress what to do, we're a commission," Seidule said. "(Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin) has the authority to direct base naming."

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Georgia Army bases Fort Gordon, Fort Benning now Fort Eisenhower, Fort Moore