Fort Hood renamed after Richard Cavazos, first Hispanic four-star general in the U.S. Army

Texas Army base Fort Hood has been renamed after Richard Cavazos, the first Hispanic four-star general in the U.S. Army.

The base near Killeen, one of the Army’s largest and located about 70 miles north of Austin, was redesignated Tuesday in honor of Cavazos, who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars and became a four-star general.

“Gen. Cavazos’ combat-proven leadership, his moral character and his loyalty to his soldiers and their families made him the fearless yet respected and influential leader that he was during the time he served, and beyond,” Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, III Armored Corps commanding general, said in a statement.

“We are ready and excited to be part of such a momentous part of history, while we honor a leader who we all admire,” Bernabe continued. “Let his name and all that it represents inspire us all every single day to live up to his legacy.”

The renaming is part of the Defense Department’s Naming Commission’s recommendations to confront racial injustice and remove Confederate names, symbols, monuments and other paraphernalia from U.S. military installations and bases. Fort Hood was named after Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood.

The change comes also comes after a number of shocking crimes occurred at the base, including a 2009 mass shooting, the murder of a female soldier and a human smuggling operation.

Cavazos, a Texas native, had been stationed at the fort during his career before he retired in 1984 after 33 years in the service. In combat, he earned the Silver Star and two Distinguished Service Cross awards. During a mission in the Korean War, he evacuated five wounded soldiers while taking heavy fire.

He died in 2017 at age 88 from complications with Alzheimer’s disease.