Military base named after Robert E. Lee renamed after Black U.S. Army officers
The Army held a redesignation ceremony in Virginia on Thursday to change the name of Fort Lee, named after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, to Fort Gregg-Adams. The new name honors two Black Army officers, Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams. At the event, Gen. Charles Hamilton said Gregg and Adams “exemplified the very best of the United States Army.”
Video transcript
CHARLES HAMILTON: So just as our installations reflect Army values, our installations are named after those who exemplify those Army values. The commission that examined redesignating some of our installations, including this one, spoke with military commanders, community leaders, soldiers, civilian employees, and the general public.
They received more than 34,000 submissions, including 3,600 unique proposals for names. As the commission did its work, as they looked at the home of Army Sustainment, the names of two legends, trailblazers, icons from the sustainment community clearly rose to the top, leaders, sustainers, and soldiers whose integrity, personal courage, and selfless service exemplify the very best of the United States Army, Lieutenant General Arthur Gregg and Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams.
[APPLAUSE]
The Army is proud to honor these American heroes who inspire hope and whose courage, dignity, patriotism, and service exemplify the very best of the United States military and who instill tremendous pride in sustainment professionals everywhere. The Namings Commission's goal was to inspire service members and military communities with names or values that have meaning and that underpin the core responsibility of the military, to defend the Constitution of the United States. Redesignating this post in honor of Lieutenant General Gregg and Lieutenant Colonel Adams clearly accomplishes this goal. And their names, their examples will inspire generations of soldiers to come.
