Louisiana's Fort Polk renamed after African American WWI soldier - ABC News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
As part of the national campaign to change the names of U.S. Army installations to cut ties with Confederate figures in America, Louisiana's Fort Polk was redesignated to Fort Johnson Tuesday morning.
The campaign includes renaming nine U.S. Army bases, including North Carolina's Fort Bragg changed to Fort Liberty, Texas' Fort Hood changed to Fort Cavazos and Georgia's Fort Benning changed to Fort Moore, among other changes.
Fort Polk was originally named after Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk, a Confederate commander.
MORE: North Carolina's Fort Bragg drops Confederate namesake, renamed Fort Liberty
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Army shows Army Pvt. Henry Johnson.U.S. Army via AP, FILE
Now, the Fort Johnson base is honored for Sgt. William Henry Johnson, an African American World War I Medal of Honor recipient who served in the all-Black 369th U.S Infantry Regiment.
"Sgt. William Henry Johnson embodied the warrior spirit, and we are deeply honored to bear his name at the Home of Heroes," said Brig. Gen. David W. Gardner, commanding general of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, in the press release.
The North Carolina native served one tour of duty on the western edge of the Argonne Forest in France's Champagne region from 1918-1919, and became one of the first Americans to be awarded France's highest award for valor, the French Croix de Guerre avec Palme.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, former President Theodore Roosevelt called Johnson one of the five bravest Americans to serve in World War I.
After his death in July 1929, Johnson was awarded the Purple Heart in 1996, the Distinguished Service Cross in 2003, and most recently, the Medal of Honor in 2015.
MORE: Fort Bragg to be renamed Fort Liberty among Army bases losing Confederate names: Exclusive
More names are expected to be changed through the renaming campaign, including Georgia's Fort Gordon changed to Fort Eisenhower to commemorate Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Virginia's Fort A.P. Hill will be changed to honor Dr. Mary Edwards Walker.
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Good!
More virtue signaling bullshit!
For all anyone nowadays knows, this could have been named after President James K. Polk. I doubt anyone other than history geeks would tie this to the Confederacy.................
Fort Polk is being renamed Fort Johnson to honor an actual American hero instead of a damned Confederate traitor...
Had this not been published, YOU TOO were probably unaware WHOM it was named for as I said. I would go as far as saying you didn't even know the "Fort" existed.
Then you would be dead wrong and just trolling me personally...
That can't be proved and I could tell you I served on that base but then we would both be wrong.
Seems that Fort Polk was named after Leonidas Polk, a confederate general
Seems that was conveyed in the above article but thanks for the review.................
then what was this rant about?
The rant, as you call it, is about crappy governance and chasing stupid shit that not very many would even be triggered by. You know. Kind of like naming/renaming Post Offices..............not earth shattering accomplishment.
seems like there's only one person here that's triggered.
there's no longer a political need to appease confederate traitors in the US.
It doesn't matter how many recognize the name, America should not be honoring enemies with statues, forts, or buildings named after them
Wasted millions of tax payer dollars to appease the easily offended while the infrastructure of many of these installations are crumbling. All to appease the easily offended.
How many millions of tax payer money has DeSantis spent, and Florida lost, because Walt Disney World was vocally against his Don't Say Gay law?
The infrastructure has been crumbling for decades, in the 60s and 70s it was shit and hasn't changed much in the last 50 years. It has nothing to do with appeasing anyone, the name changes are long overdue, and if the ''lost cause'' people want to piss and moan about that they are free do to so.
keep telling yourself that.
the name changes are long overdue, and if the ''lost cause'' people want to piss and moan about that they are free do to so.
Carry on.
I don't know what infrastructure you and Jeremy are referencing, but the Unit facilities, soldier housing, family housing is always in some phase of upgrad.
Military housing was the subject of many investigations because it was so bad that congress enacted new laws in 2021 or 22 to address it.
DoD has been privatizing family housing for a number of years. Some posts have good contracts for maintenance and some not so good. Congress has been increasing oversight.
That's the housing side. Fort Liberty, isn't one of the good contracts. Never has been. There are family units that burnt down 2 years ago and nothing done. They have closed several buildings that housed single soldiers due to mold, poor maintenance (structurally, electric, plumbing). There are over 3 dozen condemned buildings. Non training area roads (main part of the installation) that are worse than roads in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Fayetteville and Spring Lake, NC (both border Fort Liberty to the south and north respectfully) stated they would not be changing any road names because of the cost to local businesses. And would not foot any part of the bill to change direction signs for the same reason.
We've seen what a failure that has been. If a member of congress shows up, they are taken to a "display" house and avoid the run down areas. They never see the real conditions.
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Renaming the fort after Pvt. Johnson is a well-deserved honor.
For those who have been there, the jokes are already flying on that one.
Other than it being in the middle of nowhere with the local town nothing more than a wide spot in the road and hot and very humid it's almost livable.
Lot's of good mudbugs.
I've only been there twice in my time in the military. The humidity was brutal.
Wonder why they didn't name it after the Houma, Choctaw, Biloxi, Chickasaw, etc.,, tribes/nations since it was placed on their lands that were taken.
Hmmmm.
Fort Pickett in Virginia was renamed Fort Barfoot who was a Choctaw Indian and a Medal of Honor recipient.
I'm just happy that the bases are finally being named after heroes instead of traitors.
Did it keep you up at night?
THAT was a lazy and dimwitted decision. With all the MOH recipients that have served on Bragg they went with "Liberty".
On this we can agree, my favorite would have been Master Sergeant (then Staff Sergeant) Roy P. Benavidez United States Army, 5th Special Forces Group.
Would have been FAR better than Liberty. Keeps reminding me of those cheesy Liberty Insurance commercials.
What many here see as a punch in the face around Bragg / Liberty is that the old signage it said "Fort Bragg - Home of the 82d Airborne and Special Operations". The new signs just say "Fort Liberty".
I would agree that it is a slap in the face and makes no sense to me.
I forgot to add that Master Sargent Benavidez was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, DSC and four Purple Hearts.