Overview

• Fort Benning, originally named after Confederate General Henry Benning, now honors Corporal Fred G. Benning, a World War I Distinguished Service Cross recipient.
• The renaming is part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's efforts to reverse Biden-era changes that removed Confederate names from military installations.
• Corporal Fred G. Benning was recognized for leading his platoon through heavy fire during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918 after his commander was killed.
• The base had been renamed Fort Moore in 2023 to honor Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, a Vietnam War hero, and his wife Julia, an advocate for military families.
• Hegseth has directed the Army to commemorate the Moores' contributions separately while continuing to rename other bases reverted to their original designations.