Rucker family wants the home of Army Aviation to stay Fort Novosel: 'He is a hero'
FORT NOVOSEL, Ala (WDHN) — After almost two years since the home of Army Aviation was renamed to honor a local hero aviator, some state officials want to return and pay respects to a Confederate soldier. A move that those close to the situation call a mistake.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum reversing the name of a North Carolina base, Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg, and the state Secretary Wes Allen shared his views on x, saying that Novosel should be restored to Fort Rucker.
While it may be historic to some, the name has sparked controversy for others, including one of Colonel Rucker's family members.
'I believe that military installations should be named in honor of those who fought or fought for the United States, and my cousin, Colonel Edmund Rucker, did not do that. He took up arms against the United States,' said Rucker's cousin, K. Denise Rucker, krepp.
Controversial name could come back to Fort Novosel
Colonel Rucker, a Confederate officer during the Civil War, along with eight other army soldiers, had their names removed from bases in the South in 2023 under former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after concerns of the honorees being Confederate leaders and committed to slavery.
Rucker served under Nathan Bedford Forrest, a slave trader and early leader of the Klu Klux Klan.
Krepp says her family owned hundreds of slaves, if not thousands. She says she has been vocal about it for the last 10 years and was instrumental in the push to remove Confederate symbols and names on military bases.
'I thought it was proper and just for his name to be removed from a base in Alabama that was renamed in 2023 to Fort Novosel, paying respects to Enterprise native Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Novosel senior, an army aviator who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam where he saved 29 soldiers.
'Somebody that we can all gather around, and as I think about our young people, I can't think of a better example,' said Gill.
'Novosel is important to me. My dad and uncle were in Vietnam, and my uncle was severely shot up, and he lived because of individuals like Novosel. He is a hero. What does this say to his family? Trying to take it off Fort Novosel,' said Krepp.
Concerns arise over possible state appointed police chiefs
Commanding General Major Gill says changing the name on signage again would be a lot of work and money—it cost around $30 million to change the names of the nine army bases two years ago.
'That's why it's prohibitive. It's just more money and work, and we need to focus on the Army like warfighting and training our aviators.'
Fort Novosel personnel say they haven't officially heard anything about changing the name back to Fort Rucker. However, Krepp says a good portion of the Rucker family is against changing it back and wants to move forward.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
Ukraine drone attack on Russia's Tatarstan region leaves at least 1 dead, 13 injured
One person was killed and 13 others wounded Sunday in a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Tatarstan region, local authorities said. Regional Gov. Rustam Minnikhanov said the drone was destroyed, but falling debris ignited a fire and struck a vehicle manufacturing plant in the Yelabuga district, some 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from the frontline. Russia's defense ministry said it shot down six Ukrainian drones overnight.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israel, Iran Trade Blows for Third Day With No Sign of Letup
(Bloomberg) -- Israel and Iran continued intense bombardments of one another for a third day, with growing international concern the conflict will spread across one of the world's key oil-producing regions. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space Do World's Fairs Still Matter? On Sunday, Israel reported a new wave of missile attacks from Iran, just hours after the previous one, and that it was carrying out simultaneous strikes on Tehran. Since Friday, 13 people have been killed in Israel by Iranian strikes and 380 injured, Israel's emergency services said. At least 80 people in Iran have been killed, according to the government. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country's targets now include the 'regime in Tehran.' Middle Eastern stock markets, including those in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar, mostly dropped on Sunday, while the Egyptian pound weakened around 1.8% to beyond 50 per dollar in local trades. Israeli equities rose, led by defense company Elbit Systems Ltd. The tit-for-tat followed reports of explosions across Iran on Saturday, including one at a natural gas plant linked to the giant South Pars field. While Iran exports little gas and Israel appears not to have targeted its oil fields or crude-shipment facilities, the move risks pushing up global energy prices — which soared on Friday — even more. The United Nations' atomic watchdog, meanwhile, reported that multiple strikes on Iran's uranium-conversion facility at Isfahan, south of Tehran, resulted in serious damage. The enmity between Israel and Iran turned into their most serious conflict yet on Friday morning, when Israel struck Iran's nuclear and military sites using jets and drones. Attacks on Iran's defenses seem to have given Israel air superiority over the Islamic Republic, including over the capital. The Israeli military on Sunday urged Iranians to 'immediately evacuate' areas near weapons-production facilities and 'not return until further notice.' Iran now faces an existential dilemma. It can't afford to appear weak, but its options are narrowing and proxy groups it backs — such as Hezbollah in Lebanon — have limited options to support the Islamic Republic, with Israel having severely hit then over the past year in conflicts sparked by Hamas' assault on Oct. 7, 2023. On Sunday, Iran targeted Israel's infrastructure and energy facilities around Haifa, according to state media. Israel advised its residents to remain in bomb shelters for a brief period, while forces tried to intercept the projectiles. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military would 'strike at every site and every target of the Ayatollah regime,' while Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Israel will 'pay a very heavy price.' The conflict sent shockwaves through global markets on Friday, with oil surging 7% and investors buying haven assets such as gold. The MSCI World Index of developed-country stocks dropped the most since April. Iran canceled its next round of nuclear talks with the US scheduled for Oman on Sunday. US President Donald Trump, who is seeking an accord that would curb Iran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief, said on social media that 'this war in Israel-Iran should end.' On Sunday morning, Trump reiterated that the US wasn't involved in Israel's attacks and said he could still get a nuclear deal with Iran. He's set to meet other leaders of the Group of Seven major economies in Canada and the conflict will be at the forefront of their talks. Israel is calling on Washington and European nations to help it attack Iran, arguing that is what's needed to stop Tehran developing a nuclear weapon. Trump, who has warned Iran to agree on a nuclear deal 'before it is too late,' has not yet indicated if the US will join Israel in striking Iran. For all that Israel's already damaged Iranian atomic sites and says it will continue to strike them, many Western analysts say it needs US help to destroy some key facilities located deep underground. Middle Eastern leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin are voicing increasing concern that the conflict could spiral out of control and spread to other parts of the region. They have urged both sides to calm the situation quickly. Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, speaking to local broadcaster ARD, urged regional states to talk with Iran, while Berlin continues engaging with Israel. Germany, France and the UK are, he said from Qatar, ready to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program. Wider fighting — particularly any targeting of American military or diplomatic facilities in the region — may help Iran's rulers rally political support domestically but would dramatically intensify the dangers they face. It's unclear if Tehran is entertaining last-resort options — such as attacking tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, through which Middle East producers ship about a fifth of the world's daily output. That type of action may draw the US, the world's most powerful military, into the conflict, something Tehran has probably calculated it can't afford, according to Bloomberg Economics analysts. That's partly because the Iranian economy is already weak, with inflation at almost 40%, and public frustration with the government is high. Several top Iranian generals were killed and key military infrastructure was badly damaged in Israel's opening strikes on Friday. On Saturday, four sites in the East Azerbaijan province were struck, as was Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport — where the air force has a base and the national carrier is headquartered — according to Iranian media. Israel also hit the defense ministry and several residential buildings in the capital's suburbs, in addition to an oil depot to the west of the city, according to the local reports. --With assistance from Fadwa Hodali, Dan Williams, Srinivasan Sivabalan, Selcan Hacaoglu, Michael Gunn and Sonja Wind. (Updates with markets in first, fourth paragraphs.) American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years As Companies Abandon Climate Pledges, Is There a Silver Lining? US Tariffs Threaten to Derail Vietnam's Historic Industrial Boom ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Business Insider
7 hours ago
- Business Insider
Photos show the tanks, planes, and soldiers featured in the US Army's 250th anniversary parade held on Trump's birthday
The US Army held a parade in Washington, DC, for its 250th anniversary on Saturday. The display featured 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and about 6,600 troops. President Donald Trump, who turned 79 on Saturday, was in attendance with Melania Trump. President Donald Trump has long expressed interest in holding a military parade. He finally got one for his birthday. The US Army celebrated its 250th anniversary on Saturday in Washington, DC, with a parade featuring 6,600 troops, 150 vehicles, and over 50 aircraft. June 14 also marked Trump's 79th birthday. Trump attended the event accompanied by first lady Melania Trump and other family members. The president stood to salute troops as they passed his viewing box. In May, a US Army spokesperson told CNBC that the event could cost between $25 million and $45 million in total. Prior to the parade, the National Mall was lined with displays of tanks, planes, cannons, and other weaponry to educate onlookers about the US Army's history and modern capabilities. The US Army also held a fitness competition where service members competed against one another in various drills. Anti-Trump "No Kings" counterprotests, organized by the grassroots group 50501, were held nationwide ahead of the parade. Protest signs across the country condemned Trump's policies and expressed support for progressive causes. President Donald Trump attended the parade with first lady Melania Trump. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were also present. The Trump family members in attendance included Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Bettina Anderson, Eric and Lara Trump, and Tiffany Trump's husband, Michael Boulos. The parade featured service members dressed in historic uniforms dating back to the Revolutionary War, honoring the origins of the US Army. Historic tanks such as the Sherman tank used in World War II rolled through the streets. The parade also featured more modern tanks such as M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which the US used in the Iraq War and provided to Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia. Service members driving the vehicles waved and gestured at the crowds, who braved rainy weather to watch the festivities. The Golden Knights, the US Army's parachute demonstration and competition team, leapt from planes and landed in front of the White House during the parade. Lines of uniformed service members stretched all the way down Constitution Avenue. B-25 and P-51 planes performed flyovers despite foggy skies. Army helicopters flew in formation over the National Mall. After the parade, the night ended with fireworks to celebrate the US Army's 250th birthday and Trump's 79th.
