"This Week, Fort Pickett Replaces Its Confederate Name" Topic

Fort Pickett, Virginia, will be the first Army installation to be renamed as part of a service-wide plan this year to scrub base names that honor Confederate rebels who waged war against the United States.

Fort Pickett, an Army National Guard installation 60 miles south of Richmond, will be redesignated Fort Barfoot on Friday, honoring Col. Van T. Barfoot, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient with deep Virginia ties…

Military: link

This is a little sketchy and not much better: the dude is white! The Army can't find a nonbinary LatinX or African American war hero? The name is still racist.

Fort Barf. Great

Good, George E Pickett it is.

I don't have any problem with renaming it for a three war vet and a MoH winner.

I echo 79thPA comments. Col Barfoot led an amazing life.

Terry

I would think that even pro-Confederates would be irked by naming anything after the guy who lost the battle of Five Forks because he went off to a shad bake.

Got to agree with 79thPA, Barfoot seems like a good choice.
donlowry: Several years ago when the whole rename-the-forts thing started, I looked up every name on the list and found quite a few seemed questionable from a pro-Confederate point of view.

Grelber

79th PA has it.

Mr. Elmo seriously dude, you seem to have missed the point of the renaming.

I was kidding of course as see no reason name should have been changed.

I posted this on another thread here too. From Military.com … TMP link

As many here have said,I agree COL Barfoot is an excellent choice. A real American hero.

This is a little sketchy and not much better: the dude is white! The Army can't find a nonbinary LatinX or African American war hero? The name is still racist.

This is hyperbole, yes ?

Regardless IMO, … There are a lot of Forts, Ships, etc. to be renamed. As this is the new policy, etc. For better or worse. If only naming them all after minorities that would be "reverse discrimination", etc. But I'm pretty sure there is a very vocal woke, CRT, DEI, etc., minority that would agree with only naming them after minorities.

Excellent

I was kidding of course as see no reason name should have been changed.

14Bore Here is some reading for you then. I would also recommend Gen. Seidule's book "Robert E. Lee and Me".

militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2021/04/05/military-must-reject-slavery-and-treason-of-confederate-base-names-commissioner-warns/#:~:text=Ty%20Seidule%2C%20former%20head%20of%20the%20history%20department,romanticism%20around%20the%20Confederacy%20and%20its%20leaders%E2%80%99%20goals."link

Regardless … the names will be changed to not reflect CSA officers, etc. That is a given. I only hope they pick good names like COL Barfoot, etc.

UK. I just think that is a very SAD policy. ALL fought.

Just to be clear… as English, I would not object to a Wallace or Bruce or Glendower name…although enemies… and 'Washington'' is just down the road! lol

Heedless – that is not at all similar. Wallace and Bruce were not in rebellion against their country; they were defending their country against an invader.

General Lee, I have no Army Installation!

Mr. Elmo seriously dude, you seem to have missed the point of the renaming.

Oh, I really don't think he has….

General Lee, I have no Army Installation!

Well there is Ft. Lee, VA. That Fort could keep its name. But instead of R.E. Lee, it could be named for IIRC during the AWI there was a "Light Horse" Harry Lee ?

But Legion, Light Horse Harry owned slaves, right? You would just have to change the name again in 5 years. 😉

I'm distantly related to George Pickett (on my mother's side) and I have no problem with this :)

We have so many people in our military history to choose from. Individuals to inspire todays recruits if their stories are well told. Pickett would not be my choice.

We reuse our classic ship names to carry on tradition of honor those who served in them and their service records. Why not forts?

Fort Glover? Fort Warren? Two men who were there at the start whose names help remind us of how we became a nation. There are thousands more…

But Legion, Light Horse Harry owned slaves, right? You would just have to change the name again in 5 years

Yeah, his name will be probably off the list, like Washington, Jefferson, etc. 😨

who were there at the start whose names help remind us of how we became a nation.

That would be make sense … but if they have any skeletons in the footlocker, e.g. owned slaves, etc. they are off the list.

Have to admit the commission didnt do a half bad job picking the new names and in some cases I think quite brilliant in their choices. For example Fort Hood in Texas will become Fort Cavazos. General Cavazos had a long and distinguished career beginning with earning the Silver Star in Korea. He was the first soldier of Hispanic background to become an Army Brigadier General (1976) and the first to become a four star General (1982). Given the Hispanic background for many in Texas and the influence of Hispanics on Texas history this one strikes me as a homerun.
link

Yes, so far in most cases I like the names. But I'm not too crazy renaming Ft. Bragg to Ft. Liberty. Ft. Gavin seems more appropriate.

The new name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue but well deserved never less.

From Military.com

Renaming Army Bases :

link

Fort Barefoot?
or Fort Barfalot?

Ft. Barfoot … That is COL Barfoot's spelling of his last name. He was a real American hero …

I think that naming these forts for people who set courageous examples serving the United States makes the most sense. More than ever we need new recruits to understand the history and get some inspiration from the individuals who stepped up when the chips were down. Often just regular people like them who turned out to be exceptional

With US "Patriotism" wanning we have to do something to try to get that back. ID'ing American heroes may be a good start?