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Fox News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Rep. Wesley Hunt defends Trump's move to restore Robert E. Lee's name to military base
Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, defended former President Donald Trump's decision to restore the name of Confederate General Robert E. Lee to Fort Gregg-Adams during an appearance on "Real Time," Friday, following the Biden administration's 2023 removal of Lee's name from the base. Hunt argued that keeping Confederate generals' names on statues and military bases serves as "a reminder of what was," and if we don't remember our nation's history, "we are doomed to repeat it." When asked by host Bill Maher what he thought of Trump's decision to rename the base, Hunt told the late-night host he actually lived in the Robert E. Lee Barracks when he attended West Point. "I'll never forget walking under the threshold of Robert E. Lee Barracks and thinking to myself: 'Damn, this is one hell of a country,'" he told Maher. "Because only in America can someone like me walk into a building named after a Confederate general and then be a successful West Point graduate." The Texas congressman argued that if the United States were to start changing the names of buildings, every single building would be named Jesus Christ "based on perfection." Maher, an outspoken atheist, responded, "Well…" to the laughter of the panel and audience. After a quick laugh, Hunt got right back to making his case against the removal of historical statues and buildings that represent a darker time in the nation's history. He noted that he is married to a white woman and the father to three biracial children, something that would not have been possible during the time period these historical figures were alive. "I cannot wait to show them — and take them to places that — that wasn't always the case," he told the panel. "There was a time when your mother and daddy couldn't be married." Hunt celebrated the fact that his children have the opportunity to experience "second-lining down in New Orleans," while also spending time on his wife's family farm in Iowa, adding, "That is America." "And I do not want to take down these statues and change the names of these buildings because they're a reminder of what was. And if we don't remember it, we are doomed to repeat it," he concluded. After all of this, Maher responded, "Oh. So there's a reason for it. I see."
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Private Fitz Lee: Dinwiddie native, Medal of Honor recipient and new namesake for Fort Lee
Fort Lee is officially back. The general order from the Department of Defense redesignating Fort Gregg-Adams has been signed, sealed and delivered. The next step is changing signs and other references both on and off post. Amid all the discussions on the name change, one question likely on the minds of citizens is, just for whom is the post being named? While he may not be as well-known as the original namesake, Fitz Lee does have ties to this community that Robert E. Lee did not. For example, Fitz Lee was born in Dinwiddie County in central Virginia, while Robert E. Lee was born in Westmoreland County, part of Virginia's Northern Neck and more than 100 miles from Dinwiddie. Fitz Lee never achieved an Army rank higher than private, while Robert E. Lee was a colonel in the United State Army before resigning his commission and becoming general and the commanding officer of Confederate forces in the Civil War. Fitz Lee was also born one year after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, ending the Civil War. Fitz Lee was a member of the famous 'Buffalo Soldiers' regiments consisting of all-Black soldiers in the U.S. Army who served west of the Mississippi River following the Civil War. He is one of 30 Buffalo Soldiers to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. To be clear, Fitz Lee has no familial connections to Robert E. Lee, so in restoring the name Lee to the Prince George County post, the change does not violate Section 1749 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, which renamed Fort Lee and two others in Virginia to represent diversity in the Army. More: What students, officials say about VSU appearance as only HBCU in prestigious NASA event While the two men are not related, there was in fact a 'Fitz Lee' within the Confederate general's family. Fitzhugh 'Fitz' Lee served as a general in the Confederate army under his uncle, Robert E. Lee, and later was Virginia governor from 1886-90. He had been indicted for treason for his Confederate role but was later pardoned and was one of four former Confederate generals to be brought back to U.S. military service during the Spanish-American War – even though he saw no action. Ironically, Fitzhugh Lee was a major general in the same war in which Private Fitz Lee served and received the Medal of Honor. Fitzhugh Lee retired from military service in 1901 and died four years later at the age of 69. More: Former Sycamore Grove developer reacts to Petersburg pulling contract: 'City simply walked away' A National Park Service online biography states that Fitz Lee was born in June 1866 in Dinwiddie County. In 1889 in Philadelphia, he enlisted in the Tenth Cavalry M Troop. As the U.S. mobilized for war with Spain in 1898, Lee was among 50 Buffalo soldiers chosen to go behind enemy lines in Cuba and reinforce freedom fighters supporting Cuban independence from Spain. Following an unsuccessful attempt to rescue wounded soldiers at Tayabacoa, Cuba, Lee and four comrades volunteered to try again. This time, they surprised the Spanish soldiers holding the wounded Americans and were able to get them aboard the USS Florida safely. The mission took its toll on Lee's health, though. He returned to the U.S. and was bedridden in the hospital at Fort Bliss, Texas, with severe abdominal pain, swollen limbs and fading eyesight. He received the Medal of Honor while in the hospital and was honorably discharged from the Army several days later. Lee went to Leavenworth, Kansas, to live with other former Buffalo Soldiers, but his health continued to deteriorate. He died Sept. 14, 1899, at a friend's home and was buried with full military honors in Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery. 'Fitz Lee's legacy is one of bravery, humility, and unshakable dedication to his fellow soldiers,' Major Gen. Donahue said in a June 16 statement from the post. 'By bearing his name, this installation deepens its connection to our local heritage and our Army's enduring values.' Fort Lee's former name that was issued in April 2023 honored the late Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and the late Lt. Col. Charity Adams. Gregg was a logistics expert who served at Fort Lee on several occasions and was the highest-ranking officer of color when he retired. Adams led a group of Black women soldiers who delivered mail to the battlegrounds of the European Theater in World War II. More: More changes ahead for Fort Gregg-Adams. What's the future for U.S. Army Women's Museum? The renaming order, signed by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, is simple and straightforward in its wording. The name change became effective June 11 and states that Fort Gregg-Adams is 'redesignated as Fort Lee in honor of Private Fitz Lee.' It was issued on the same day as orders renaming Fort Barfoot in Nottoway County as Fort Pickett and Fort Walker in Caroline County as Fort Anderson-Pinn-Hill, shortened to 'A.P. Hill.' Fort Pickett is named for First Lt. Vernon Pickett, who received the Distinguished Service Cross for World War II service. Originally named for Confederal Gen. George Pickett, the now-headquarters of the Virginia National Guard was changed to Fort Barfoot in 2023 in memory of Col. Van Barfoot, a World War II hero of Native American heritage who received the Medal of Honor. Fort A.P. Hill is named for Private Bruce Anderson, 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. It was originally named for Confederate Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill Jr. but was changed to Fort Walker in memory of Dr. Mary Walker, a Civil War surgeon and the only woman to be awarded the Medal of Honor. While the general order has been issued, an Army spokesperson told The Progress-Index that the 'implementation order' – setting the schedule and logistics for the new name and its signage – has not been issued. Asked when that will take place, the spokesperson replied, 'Soon.' A Fort Lee spokesperson told The Progress-Index that the post was already working on sign changes and other materials, and plans to launch an educational campaign highlighting the life of its new namesake. More: More changes ahead for Fort Gregg-Adams. What's the future for U.S. Army Women's Museum? Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@ or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Fort Lee's new namesake is a Medal of Honor winner from Dinwiddie County
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump aims to restore confederate names to seven military bases
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he was reinstating the names of seven military bases that had been named after Confederates, including their leader, Gen. Robert E. Lee. Trump made the announcement during his trip to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which had briefly taken on the name 'Fort Liberty.' In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (pictured) announced that it would be riverted to Fort Bragg, but would be named after a World War II hero, not the problematic Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg. 'For a little breaking news, we are also going to be restoring the names to Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Polk, Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Robert E. Lee,' Trump told the crowd Tuesday. 'We won a lot of battles out of those forts,' he continued. 'And I'm superstitious, I like to keep it going right? I'm very superstitious, we want to keep it going, so that's a big story, I just announced it today to you for the first time.' Trump said he was pressured to wait and make the announcement during Saturday's parade marking his birthday and celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Army. 'I can't wait!' he said at Fort Bragg. 'I've got to talk to my friends here today.' The president's move makes good on a campaign promise he made, not in 2024, but in 2020. In the aftermath of George Floyd's death of Memorial Day weekend of 2020 and the 'Black Lives Matter' protests that sprung up from the incident, there were renewed calls to remove Confederate statues and names from public spaces. Trump resisted those calls - instead backing the 'Blue Lives Matter' movement, a counter-protest on the American right. Still Congress decided to act and the name change for military bases was included in a large defense package that earned bipartisan support. Even after he lost the election to Democratic nominee Joe Biden, he vetoed the military spending bill in December 2020 , which contained language to rename 10 bases originally named for Confederates. Congress - in another bipartisan vote - overrode Trump's veto. It's unclear why the president didn't mention Forts Beauregard and Benning in his announcement Tuesday, as they were both included in the defense spending bill. The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment. The process to rename the bases wrapped up in January 2023, during Biden's presidency - so Trump blamed his predecessor, despite members of his own party supporting the changes. A number of bases were renamed from Confederates to women and black Americans. 'The one and only Fort Bragg, the one and only Fort Bragg,' Trump said onstage Tuesday. 'But remember it was only that little brief moment that it wasn't called Fort Bragg. It was by the Biden administration. And we got it changed,' he touted. Fort Bragg, in the February change, was renamed after Roland L. Bragg, who the Pentagon described as a World War II fighter 'who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge.' The original 'Bragg' was Braxton Bragg, who was a slaveowner. He was also so inept that he helped the Confederacy lose the Civil War to U.S. forces.
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump shocks with plan to rename SEVEN military bases for Confederate soldiers after Biden-era renaming
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he was reinstating the names of seven military bases that had been named after Confederates, including their leader, Gen. Robert E. Lee. Trump made the announcement during his trip to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which had briefly taken on the name 'Fort Liberty.' In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that it would be riverted to Fort Bragg, but would be named after a World War II hero, not the problematic Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg. 'For a little breaking news, we are also going to be restoring the names to Fort Pickett, Fort Hood, Fort Gordon, Fort Rucker, Fort Polk, Fort A.P. Hill and Fort Robert E. Lee,' Trump told the crowd Tuesday. 'We won a lot of battles out of those forts,' he continued. 'And I'm superstitious, I like to keep it going right? I'm very superstitious, we want to keep it going, so that's a big story, I just announced it today to you for the first time.' Trump said he was pressured to wait and make the announcement during Saturday's parade marking his birthday and celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Army. 'I can't wait!' he said at Fort Bragg. 'I've got to talk to my friends here today.' The president's move makes good on a campaign promise he made, not in 2024, but in 2020. In the aftermath of George Floyd's death of Memorial Day weekend of 2020 and the 'Black Lives Matter' protests that sprung up from the incident, there were renewed calls to remove Confederate statues and names from public spaces. Trump resisted those calls - instead backing the 'Blue Lives Matter' movement, a counter-protest on the American right. Still Congress decided to act and the name change for military bases was included in a large defense package that earned bipartisan support. Even after he lost the election to Democratic nominee Joe Biden, he vetoed the military spending bill in December 2020, which contained language to rename 10 bases originally named for Confederates. Congress - in a bipartisan vote - overrode Trump's veto. It's unclear why the president didn't mention Forts Beauregard and Benning in his announcement Tuesday, as they were both included in the defense spending bill. The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment. The process to rename the bases wrapped up in January 2023, during Biden's presidency - so Trump blamed his predecessor, despite members of his own party supporting the changes. A number of bases were renamed from Confederates to women and black Americans. 'The one and only Fort Bragg, the one and only Fort Bragg,' Trump said onstage Tuesday. 'But remember it was only that little brief moment that it wasn't called Fort Bragg. It was by the Biden administration.' 'And we got it changed,' he touted. Fort Bragg, in the February change, was renamed after Roland L. Bragg, who the Pentagon described as a World War II fighter 'who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge.' The original 'Bragg' was Braxton Bragg, who was a slaveowner.
Washington Post
02-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Book Review: 'Charlottesville' a dramatic account of deadly 2017 rally and history behind it
Decades before the violent Unite the Right rally in 2017 in Charlottesville that drew white nationalists protesting the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue, the city was targeted by a white supremacist who hoped to ignite a race war. To understand the 2017 Unite the Right rally, Deborah Baker writes in 'Charlottesville: An American Story,' readers have to go back to 1956 and John Kasper's trip to Charlottesville to protest school integration.
