What military bases are named after confederate generals?
PRESIDENT Trump said he is opposed to the idea of renaming the military bases that honor Confederate generals.
Trump wrote on Twitter that these bases “have become part of a Great American Heritage, a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom.”
“The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars.
“Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.”
Name changes have not been proposed by the Army or the Pentagon, but top officials say they are “open to a bipartisan discussion” of renaming bases such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Benning in Georgia.
Additionally, statues and monuments around the country are being removed and torn down amid widespread protests.
NASCAR has banned confederate flags at all racing events in wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis.
A statue of Confederate leader Jefferson Davis was recently destroyed – and a statue of Christopher Columbus was beheaded.
How many military bases are named after Confederate generals?
There are a total of 10 Army bases named after Confederate generals.
The naming was done mostly after World War I and in the 1940s, partly as gestures of conciliation to the South.
Most of the bases are named after senior generals, including Robert E. Lee.
Fort Lee was formed in Virginia during the Civil War as Lee led the Confederate Army.
Fort Benning includes the namesake of Confederate Army Gen. Henry Benning, who was a leader of Georgia’s secessionist movement and a supporter of preserving slavery.
Fort Pickett was birthed during World War II in Virginia and honors General George Pickett – known as the author of the disastrous Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg in 1863.
General Leonidas Polk, a second cousin of President James Polk, died in battle during the Civil War in 1864.
Fort Polk is located in Louisiana.
Paul Eaton, a former commanding general of Fort Benning, said Trump’s statements go against Army ideals.
“Today, Donald Trump made it official,” he said.
“Rather than move this nation further away from institutionalized racism, he believes we should cling to it and its heritage, by keeping the names of racist traitors on the gates of our military bases.”
MILITARY BASES NAMED AFTER CONFEDERATE GENERALS
Camp Beauregard – P.G.T. Beauregard
Fort Benning – Henry Benning
Fort Bragg – Braxton Bragg
Fort Gordon – John Brown Gordon
Fort A.P. Hill – Ambrose Powell Hill Jr.
Fort Hood – John Bell Hood
Fort Lee – Robert E. Lee
Fort Pickett – George Pickett
Fort Polk – Leonidas Polk
Fort Rucker – Edmund Rucker
Why was Fort Bragg named after a Confederate general?
Fort Bragg was named for Braxton Bragg, a native North Carolinian with a reputation for bravery and but not strong leadership.
His troops were defeated at the Battle of Chattanooga in November of 1863.
Bragg, who died in 1876, had previously served in other conflicts, including the Mexican-American War.
Fort Bragg houses some of the Army’s most elite forces.
What did the Confederate Army stand for?
The Confederate Army represented the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865.
The army fought for states’ rights and the preservation of slavery.
The war ended when Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in April of 1865.
Who was the first Confederate general?
Samuel Cooper was the first officer promoted to full general.
He was appointed as brigadier general but was quickly elevated to full general, according to The Washington Post.
Cooper was a career Army officer who was born in New Hackensack, New York.
He died in 1876.
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What does the Confederate flag actually stand for?
For some people the flag stands for states’ rights and Southern pride, while others link it to racism, slavery and segregation
Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley once said that the Confederate flag meant “service, sacrifice and heritage” for the state.