Fort Gregg-Adams' commanding general says legacies will live on despite post name change

Yahoo

6 days ago

Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams may be having their names removed from the signs at Fort Gregg-Adams, but the post's commanding general has told their families that she was 'committed' to ensuring their loved ones will always be a part of the installation's fabric.
'Please know that we remain committed to preserving and honoring the legacies of your father and grandfather, Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg, and your mother, Lt. Col. Charity Adams,' Major Gen. Michelle Donahue said at the first of three celebrations on post June 13. 'Their names have represented this post for the last two years with great distinction.'
While it still awaits official word on the timing, Fort Gregg-Adams will soon return to its former brand, Fort Lee, as part of the Trump Administration's controversial and politically divisive initiative to change the names of Army posts in the South that used to memorialize Confederate heroes. It is a change of course from 2023, when the Biden Administration shepherded a congressional Defense spending mandate to retool the posts to reflect an inclusive and racially diverse military culture.
Journalists attending the post celebrations were initially asked by the post's public affairs office to refrain from asking about the name change so as to not cast a political shadow over the day's festivities. But instead of avoiding the issue, Donahue addressed it head-on as she spoke at the reopening of the post-owned McLaney Drop Zone on River Road in Prince George County as Gregg's daughter and granddaughter, and Adams' son were in the invitation-only audience.
'Their stories of trailblazing service, leadership, and perseverance will always be vital parts of this installation and our museum collections, and their legacies will be carried with us, recognized, and preserved in meaningful ways moving forward,' Donahue said, speaking directly to the family members seated in the front row.
The post's new name will not be honoring Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee as it did prior to 2023. Instead, it will memorialize Private Fitz Lee, a Dinwiddie County native, member of the Army's 'Buffalo Soldiers' division and the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery in the Spanish-American War at the end of the 19th century.
Donahue said Gregg and Adams will always be linked with Lee, even though it will be Lee's name as the official designation.
"We will move forward together – with strength, purpose, and respect for all who have made this installation what it is today and what it will be tomorrow,' she said.
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The general's remarks drew praise from Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Jennifer McClellan, two Virginia Democrats who have been very vocal in their disdain for the name change.
'She made it clear that while the base name may change, their legacies will continue to be honored and recognized, and passed on to the next generations here,' McClellan said.
She said she still does not agree with the process of how the name was being redone. While Lee 'is worthy of being honored' for his duty, McClellan said there is a way to do that 'without erasing the names of Arthur Gregg and Charity Adams.'
'Whatever happens, this base is going to carry many, many reminders of General Gregg and Colonel Adams,' Kaine said. Of Donahue's acknowledgment, Kaine called her 'stand-up.
'She was reaching out to others before many of us were,' he added. 'She has a very strong connection to the families.'
'The law is the law': Va. senator rejects Trump move to rebrand Army posts to former names
Meanwhile, the other two Army posts in Virginia on the list to change have already done so.
Fort Barfoot, now the headquarters of the Virginia National Guard, is back to Fort Pickett. Instead of Confederate Gen. George Pickett, the post is named for First Lt. Vernon Pickett, who received the Distinguished Service Cross for World War II service.
Fort Walker, in Caroline County north of Richmond, would go back to Fort A.P. Hill, but this time would be named for three Union soldiers whose last names start with "A" and "P" − Private Bruce Anderson and First Sgt. Robert A. Pinn − and Lt. Col. Edward Hill. All three received the Medal of Honor for their bravery in Virginia and North Carolina campaigns.
In addition to the reopening of the McLaney Drop Zone, the post officially opened its 'Museum Enclave' to the general public and celebrated the 250th anniversary of the creation of the U.S. Army. The post adjusted its gates to permit unfettered public access to the enclave to be known as the Logistics Museum, a merging of the Women's Army Museum and the Quartermaster Museum under one umbrella
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at [e-mail] or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Fort Gregg-Adams' commander comments on name change to Fort Lee