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Panel recommends new names for military bases named after Confederates

A sign marks one of the entrances of the U.S. Army base Fort Lee Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, in Petersburg, Va. The fort would become Fort Gregg-Adams under recommendations released by a special panel this week.
Steve Helber
/
AP
A sign marks one of the entrances of the U.S. Army base Fort Lee Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, in Petersburg, Va. The fort would become Fort Gregg-Adams under recommendations released by a special panel this week.

A special commission tasked with renaming military bases that honor Confederates has released its recommendations.

Of the nine bases set to receive new names, Virginia is home to the most at three. Those are Forts Lee, Pickett and A.P. Hill.

Under the recommendations, Fort Lee, which houses an army logistics hub, would become Fort Gregg-Adams. Charity Adams commanded the first unit of African American women to serve overseas during World War II. The unit delivered mail from millions of soldiers fighting in Europe. Arthur Gregg enlisted in 1945 and was a trailblazer for military logistics.

Fort Pickett would become Fort Barfoot – named after Van Barfoot – a World War II Medal of Honor recipient who also served in Korea and Vietnam and was an advisor to the Virginia National Guard.

And finally, Fort A.P. Hill would become Fort Walker. Dr. Mary Walker tended to wounded soldiers during the Civil War and would go on to become the Army’s first female surgeon.

The panel will submit the names to Congress later this year. From there, the proposed names go to the Secretary of Defense, who has direct oversight of the base renaming process.

Nick Gilmore is a meteorologist, news producer and reporter/anchor for RADIO IQ.