Latest news with #FredBenning
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fort Benning returns to old name — with a new namesake
FORT BENNING — The Army officially restored the name Fort Benning to its storied training post in Georgia, only this time to honor an 18-year-old corporal who fought in World War I rather than a Confederate general. A ceremony to make the name change official was held Wednesday at the base just outside Columbus. Roughly 70,000 soldiers, civilian workers and military family members are stationed at Fort Benning, which trains infantry troops and tank crews and is home to the elite Army Ranger School. It's the second time in less than two years that Fort Benning commanders have been tasked with swapping out the post's name on everything from signs marking gates, streets, police cars and buildings to official stationery and websites. That will cost around $653,000, according to Fort Benning officials. The last name change in 2023 redesignated the post as Fort Moore as part of a move started by Congress in 2020 and completed during President Joe Biden's administration to remove names that honored Confederate leaders, including from nine Army posts. The 18-year-old World War I corporal behind Fort Benning's renaming The name of Henry L. Benning, a former Georgia Supreme Court justice who vocally supported secession and served as a Confederate brigadier general in the Civil War, had adorned the base since it opened as Camp Benning in 1918. Federal law now prohibits naming military bases for Confederates. The Pentagon under President Donald Trump has found a workaround for reverting bases back to what they were formerly called, by finding new soldiers to honor with the same last name. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month ordered the change back to Fort Benning to honor Fred Benning, who was awarded the nation's second-highest honor for battlefield bravery as an 18-year-old corporal in 1918 and later was promoted to sergeant — a fact uncovered after Hegseth issued the memo. Sue Conger-Williams, Benning's granddaughter, recalled summers in Nebraska fishing with her grandfather and digging for earthworms while he watched for cars, but said she never learned much about his time in the Army. 'I am grateful for this glimpse into history, and I see some similarities, though, between Fred Benning the soldier and Fred Benning my grandpa,' Conger-Williams said. 'These are integrity, hard work and a commitment to service.' Fred Benning received his Distinguished Service Cross after returning home to Nebraska, where he started a bakery and served as mayor of the small town of Neligh. He died in 1974. Conger-Williams sat up front at the ceremony with Benning's great-granddaughter and 10-month-old great-great-granddaughter as soldiers, veterans and locals milled around behind them. Maj. Gen. Colin Tuley, the fort's commanding general, said people at Fort Benning knew little about Fred Benning, which sent historians poring over old records to piece together his legacy. During Wednesday's ceremony, Tuley noted that Benning took charge of his machine-gun platoon in October 1918 in France, leading 20 survivors through heavy fire, after their commander was killed. 'What sets him apart was his unwavering dedication to his soldiers, his understanding of the soldiers' needs," said Tuley. During its short time as Fort Moore, the Georgia post became the first in the Army named for a couple: the late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Moore. Hal Moore served in Vietnam as commander of a cavalry battalion based at Fort Benning and was also a Distinguished Service Cross recipient. Julia Moore successfully lobbied the Pentagon to adopt a policy that military families would be notified of war casualties in person rather than by telegram. "Whatever a name may be on an installation board, the Moores are an interwoven part of this installation and that will never go away," said Tuley. In his March 3 memo ordering the return to the name Fort Benning, Hegseth directed the Army to find a new way to honor the Moores 'in a manner that celebrates their significant contributions to the local community and the Army.' The Army hasn't said how much the switch back to Fort Benning will cost. An Army commission in 2022 estimated the change to Fort Moore would cost at least $4.9 million. Fort Benning is the second U.S. military base to have its 2023 name change reversed. The nation's largest Army installation was rechristened Fort Bragg in North Carolina last month, following a brief two years as Fort Liberty.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fort Benning, briefly Fort Moore, is Fort Benning again – but honors another Benning, military says
Fort Benning leaders and family members of Fred Benning pose for photos next to the new Fort Benning sign that was unveiled during a ceremony Wednesday. Screenshot from Fort Benning livestream Fort Benning's name has officially been restored after a two-year stint as Fort Moore that was part of a national move away from Confederate namesakes. But the Pentagon says the Army post near Columbus is now named for a different Benning – World War I veteran Fred Benning of Nebraska, an Army corporal who enlisted when he was 17 and served in the First Infantry Division. Originally, Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning, who fought to preserve slavery, was the Benning being honored. New signage was unveiled Wednesday during a renaming ceremony at the base, which is one of the country's largest installations. Fred Benning's granddaughter was there, sharing memories of her grandfather. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo renaming the base last month, saying at the time in a short video statement that 'now Fort Benning is back too.' The move followed the return of Fort Bragg's name in North Carolina, in that case going with Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II veteran, as the new namesake instead of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg. The updated names had been the work of a commission on renaming bases honoring Confederates created by Congress, and that commission was part of a defense authorization bill that had enough support in 2020 to override President Donald Trump's veto during his first term. Georgia's Fort Gordon near Augusta was also renamed Fort Eisenhower in 2023 after General of the Army and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower as part of that push. The original name had honored John B. Gordon, a major general in the Confederate army who went on to serve as Georgia governor and U.S. senator. In 2023, Fort Benning had been renamed Fort Moore in honor of Lt. Gen. Hal and Julia Moore. During the Vietnam War, while Hal Moore was deployed, Julia worked to change the way the U.S. military handled death notifications. At the time, they were delivered by cabbies carrying a telegram. The couple is buried at the post's military cemetery. 'Both Hal and Julia Moore remarkably served our country and raised the standard of excellence in the United States Army for servicemen and civilian spouses alike. I am proud that a military base in Georgia was chosen to bear their name, even briefly,' state Sen. Ed Harbison, a Columbus Democrat and military veteran, said shortly after the renaming was announced. Others were more critical of the change. 'The American people understand the legacy connected to the original name, and Secretary Hegseth's disingenuous attempt to associate it to a separate soldier is transparent and distasteful,' Margaret Huang, president and CEO Southern Poverty Law Center, said in response to the news last month. Maj. Gen. Colin Tuley, who is the commanding general of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, said in public remarks Wednesday that Fred Benning's life will serve as an inspiration for the thousands of soldiers who train there every year. Fred Benning was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for 'extraordinary heroism in action' in 1918 south of Exermont, France. He took command after his platoon commander was killed and two senior non-commissioned officers were injured. When he returned home, he operated a bakery and later served as mayor of Neligh, Nebraska. 'As we rededicate this post in his honor, may we all strive to embody the very same tenets he exemplified: unwavering dedication to people, inspirational leadership, a relentless pursuit of transformation,' Tuley said. '(His) story reminds us that true heroism is not just defined by rank. It is about that unwavering courage, that selfless service and an enduring commitment to something greater than ourselves.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fort Benning takes back its old name, but to honor a different soldier
The Army is restoring the name Fort Benning to its storied training post in Georgia, only this time to honor an 18-year-old corporal who fought in World War I rather than a Confederate general. A ceremony to make the name change official was scheduled Wednesday at the base just outside Columbus. Roughly 70,000 soldiers, civilian workers and military family members are stationed at Fort Benning, which trains infantry troops and tank crews and is home to the elite Army Ranger School. It's the second time in less than two years that Fort Benning commanders have been tasked with swapping out the post's name on everything from signs marking gates, streets and buildings to official stationery and websites. The last name change in 2023 redesignated the post as Fort Moore as part of a move started by Congress in 2020 and completed during President Joe Biden's administration to remove names that honored Confederate leaders, including from nine Army posts. The name of Henry L. Benning, a former Georgia Supreme Court justice who vocally supported secession and served as a Confederate brigadier general in the Civil War, had adorned the base since it opened as Camp Benning in 1918. Federal law now prohibits naming military bases for Confederates. The Pentagon under President Donald Trump has found a workaround for reverting bases back to what they were formerly called, by finding new soldiers to honor with the same last name. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last month ordered the change back to Fort Benning to honor Fred Benning, who was awarded the nation's second-highest honor for battlefield bravery as an 18-year-old corporal in 1918. Fred Benning received his Distinguished Service Cross after returning home to Nebraska, where he started a bakery and served as mayor of the small town of Neligh. He died in 1974. During its short time as Fort Moore, the Georgia post became the first in the Army named for a couple: the late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Moore. Hal Moore served in Vietnam as commander of a cavalry battalion based at Fort Benning and was also a Distinguished Service Cross recipient. Julia Moore successfully lobbied the Pentagon to adopt a policy that military families would be notified of war casualties in person rather than by telegram. In his March 3 memo ordering the return to the name Fort Benning, Hegseth directed the Army to find a new way to honor the Moores 'in a manner that celebrates their significant contributions to the local community and the Army.' The Army hasn't said how much the switch back to Fort Benning will cost. An Army commission in 2022 estimated the change to Fort Moore would cost at least $4.9 million. Fort Benning is the second U.S. military base to have its 2023 name change reversed. The nation's largest Army installation was rechristened Fort Bragg in North Carolina last month, following a brief two years as Fort Liberty. TRENDING STORIES: 3 arrested as protestors disrupt Marjorie Taylor Greene town hall Little Caesars' attack leads to police raid at suspect's home, uncovers fentanyl and guns Witnesses say driver celebrated after chase, crash that killed 19-year-old innocent driver [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The 18-year-old World War I corporal behind Fort Benning's renaming
For more than a century, Fort Benning's name honored a Confederate general who supported slavery. The military changed the name of the Army base in Georgia two years ago, but now the Trump administration is set on restoring the familiar one — this time for a different Benning. The new namesake is Fred Benning, a Nebraska native awarded the military's second-highest honor for his battlefield courage as an 18-year-old corporal in 1918, near the end of World War I. The military noted that he later served as mayor of the small Nebraska town of Neligh, but it did not mention that he ran a bakery, opted to have his Distinguished Service Cross mailed to him rather than presented at a military ceremony and didn't discuss his wartime experiences once home. He died in 1974. Federal law now bars the military from returning to honoring Confederates, but the move restores a name known by generations of soldiers. Hegseth returns Army base to Fort Benning in second naming reversal Honoring a soldier from the Army's lower ranks echoes President Donald Trump's anti-elite appeals to working-class voters. Still, the circumstances of the change — and a similar one for North Carolina's once-and-future Fort Bragg — have skeptics wondering whether their new namesakes are receiving much of an honor. But Fred Benning deserves recognition, said Andrew Orr, a professor and director of the Institute for Military History at Kansas State University. Benning was part of American assaults on the toughest German defenses by soldiers who fought to take trenches and to hold them, often hand-to-hand and under clouds of poison gas, he said. 'If you're the town that Benning was the mayor of, claim it,' Orr said in an interview Thursday. 'What you can do is try and fight back against the stealing of his name by emphasizing this guy earned it.' The military renamed Forts Benning and Bragg, both established in 1918, as part of a broader effort by Congress to strip the names of Civil War rebels from military posts, roads, buildings and landmarks following protests over the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Trump, then nearing the end of his first term, opposed renaming the military bases. In 2023, the base named for Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning became Fort Moore to honor the late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia, for his storied military service and her advocacy for notifying families of war casualties in person rather than by telegram. The base named for Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg became Fort Liberty and is now renamed for Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper from Maine. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last month that reverting to the previous names was about 'connection to the community,' and that 2023 changes eroded the bases' legacies. Benning was among more than 150 fellow soldiers who received the Distinguished Service Cross for their service in the 16th Infantry Regiment during World War I. Steven Clay, an Army veteran in Leavenworth, Kansas, and historian of the association dedicated to preserving the 16th Infantry's legacy, disagreed with removing Confederate generals' names from bases, and he questioned why Fred Benning should receive such a high honor. 'Clearly the motivation is the name,' Clay said. 'It's not to denigrate what he accomplished. But I think the intent is that a lot of old soldiers like me like the name Benning.' Fred Benning settled in Neligh, Nebraska, and married in 1926, records and newspaper stories showed. Neligh is about 150 miles of Omaha and now has about 1,500 residents. Benning and his wife had two children, one of whom died in infancy. Their second child, a daughter, died in California in 2013. Phone messages left for people who appeared to be surviving relatives in Colorado and Nebraska were not returned. Until this week's announcement, even some longtime Neligh residents didn't know much of Benning's story. His portrait in a City Hall display for Neligh's mayors shows a clean-shaven, middle-aged man wearing a business suit. 'I think it's great,' Mayor Joe Hartz, a 45-year resident, said of the honor. 'There are a lot of people who come and go in our community, and sometimes you don't know what their history is.' Benning was just 17 when he enlisted in the Army in April 1917, joining a machine gun company, according to reports at the time in The Daily News in nearby Norfolk, where he grew up. At age 18, he had been 'over the top many times,' into the deadly space between opposing trenches, according to the Daily News. Orr said American troops were advancing 'over a sea of their own dead.' The announcement of Benning's honor said he took command of his platoon in October 1918 after its commander was killed and led its 20 survivors through heavy fire. Later, he didn't talk about his experiences. In 1928, The Norfolk Press caught up with him in Neligh and reported he was 'so busy making good in his bakery' that he wouldn't discuss his wartime service, adding, 'Most of the fellows who did the real fighting don't talk about it.' Benning and his bakery popped up in small news items over the years. He led the local American Legion Post and Chamber of Commerce and helped plan for a new hospital. In 1948, Benning ran for mayor, won easily and was reelected without opposition two years later. Before he decided not to run again in 1952, the city started trash collection for $1 a month and improved its sewers, streets and water system. At one memorable City Council meeting, the Neligh News reported Benning was examining the city night watchman's defective .38-caliber revolver. Unaware that it was loaded, he pulled the trigger. A bullet clipped another council member's finger and lodged in a wall. Benning sold his bakery and retired in 1965. While Orr believes the Trump administration is appropriating Benning's service to score a political point, he said Neligh should respond with pride and say, 'We remember him, and we're going to make it all about him regardless of why other people have done it.' Associated Press Writers Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Lolita Baldor, in Washington, D.C., contributed reporting.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's move to restore old Army base names highlights Nebraska man's heroics at 18 in World War I
For more than a century, Fort Benning's name honored a Confederate general who supported slavery. The military changed the name of the Army base in Georgia two years ago, but now the Trump administration is set on restoring the familiar one — this time for a different Benning. The new namesake is Fred Benning, a Nebraska native awarded the military's second-highest honor for his battlefield courage as an 18-year-old corporal in 1918, near the end of World War I. The military noted that he later served as mayor of the small Nebraska town of Neligh, but it did not mention that he ran a bakery, opted to have his Distinguished Service Cross mailed to him rather than presented at a military ceremony and didn't discuss his wartime experiences once home. He died in 1974. Federal law now bars the military from returning to honoring Confederates, but the move restores a name known by generations of soldiers. Honoring a soldier from the Army's lower ranks echoes President Donald Trump's anti-elite appeals to working-class voters. Still, the circumstances of the change — and a similar one for North Carolina's once-and-future Fort Bragg — have skeptics wondering whether their new namesakes are receiving much of an honor. But Fred Benning deserves recognition, said Andrew Orr, a professor and director of the Institute for Military History at Kansas State University. Benning was part of American assaults on the toughest German defenses by soldiers who fought to take trenches and to hold them, often hand-to-hand and under clouds of poison gas, he said. 'If you're the town that Benning was the mayor of, claim it,' Orr said in an interview Thursday. 'What you can do is try and fight back against the stealing of his name by emphasizing this guy earned it.' Renaming bases, again The military renamed Forts Benning and Bragg, both established in 1918, as part of a broader effort by Congress to strip the names of Civil War rebels from military posts, roads, buildings and landmarks following protests over the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Trump, then nearing the end of his first term, opposed renaming the military bases. In 2023, the base named for Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning became Fort Moore to honor the late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia, for his storied military service and her advocacy for notifying families of war casualties in person rather than by telegram. The base named for Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg became Fort Liberty and is now renamed for Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper from Maine. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last month that reverting to the previous names was about 'connection to the community,' and that 2023 changes eroded the bases' legacies. Honoring one soldier in a highly decorated regiment Benning was among more than 150 fellow soldiers who received the Distinguished Service Cross for their service in the 16th Infantry Regiment during World War I. Steven Clay, an Army veteran in Leavenworth, Kansas, and historian of the association dedicated to preserving the 16th Infantry's legacy, disagreed with removing Confederate generals' names from bases, and he questioned why Fred Benning should receive such a high honor. 'Clearly the motivation is the name,' Clay said. 'It's not to denigrate what he accomplished. But I think the intent is that a lot of old soldiers like me like the name Benning.' Fred Benning settled in Neligh, Nebraska, and married in 1926, records and newspaper stories showed. Neligh is about 150 miles (241 kilometers northwest) of Omaha and now has about 1,500 residents. Benning and his wife had two children, one of whom died in infancy. Their second child, a daughter, died in California in 2013. Phone messages left for people who appeared to be surviving relatives in Colorado and Nebraska were not returned. Until this week's announcement, even some longtime Neligh residents didn't know much of Benning's story. His portrait in a City Hall display for Neligh's mayors shows a clean-shaven, middle-aged man wearing a business suit. 'I think it's great,' Mayor Joe Hartz, a 45-year resident, said of the honor. 'There are a lot of people who come and go in our community, and sometimes you don't know what their history is.' A small-town Nebraska boy enlists at 17 Benning was just 17 when he enlisted in the Army in April 1917, joining a machine gun company, according to reports at the time in The Daily News in nearby Norfolk, where he grew up. At age 18, he had been 'over the top many times,' into the deadly space between opposing trenches, according to the Daily News. Orr said American troops were advancing 'over a sea of their own dead.' The announcement of Benning's honor said he took command of his platoon in October 1918 after its commander was killed and led its 20 survivors through heavy fire. Later, he didn't talk about his experiences. In 1928, The Norfolk Press caught up with him in Neligh and reported he was 'so busy making good in his bakery' that he wouldn't discuss his wartime service, adding, 'Most of the fellows who did the real fighting don't talk about it.' Building up a bakery and serving as mayor Benning and his bakery popped up in small news items over the years. He led the local American Legion Post and Chamber of Commerce and helped plan for a new hospital. In 1948, Benning ran for mayor, won easily and was reelected without opposition two years later. Before he decided not to run again in 1952, the city started trash collection for $1 a month and improved its sewers, streets and water system. At one memorable City Council meeting, the Neligh News reported Benning was examining the city night watchman's defective .38-caliber revolver. Unaware that it was loaded, he pulled the trigger. A bullet clipped another council member's finger and lodged in a wall. Benning sold his bakery and retired in 1965. While Orr believes the Trump administration is appropriating Benning's service to score a political point, he said Neligh should respond with pride and say, 'We remember him, and we're going to make it all about him regardless of why other people have done it.' ___ Associated Press Writers Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, and Lolita Baldor, in Washington, D.C., contributed reporting. John Hanna, The Associated Press
