We Were Soldiers: Effort to Rename Benning ‘Fort Moore’ Gains Steam

An effort to rename Fort Benning after Lieutenant General Harold (“Hal”) Moore and his wife, Julie Moore, has been picking up steam in recent months as the Department of Defense moves to eliminate Confederate names from U.S. military installations.

A mandate to change the names of installations and other Defense Department assets (including warships and buildings) that were named after prominent Confederate figures was passed into law last year, with a commission to address these changes stood up on Jan. 1.

Hal Moore was a famed U.S. Army general who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars, and his wife, Julie, played a vital role in changing the way the U.S. military went about delivering casualty notifications. Now, a website and online petition are helping spread the word on the Fort Moore effort, and it’s gained the support of military organizations like Blue Star Families.

“Fort Moore would simultaneously recognize Hal Moore‘s life, a decorated and highly regarded commander of the Vietnam War and his wife, Julie Moore, who was equally distinguished as a leader of Army family programs who changed how the military cares for the widows of fallen soldiers,” the Fort Moore petition website reads.

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Related: These Are the First Military Bases Whose Confederate Names Could Be Changed