Fortress Lee In Virginia To Be Renamed In Honor Of two Distinguished Black Military Officials

Virginia’s Fortress Lee, named after Accomplice chief Robert E. Lee, will probably be renamed Fortress Gregg-Adams in a redesignation rite on Thursday.

The put up will honor Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams who “excelled within the box of sustainment and made vital marks in U.S. Military historical past,” the Military mentioned in a March press free up.

Gregg, who used to be referred to as the highest-ranking officer around the more than a few branches of the U.S. army when he retired in 1981, helped to desegregate the Military right through his profession, which spanned greater than 3 many years, in line with the Military’s web page. Gregg, who’s 94 years previous, may also be the one residing individual to have an Military base named after them within the provide day, consistent with the March press free up.

Adams, the second one a part of the redesignated base title, used to be the commander of the only Black Girls’s Military Corps unit despatched in a foreign country right through International Struggle II, referred to as the 6888th Central Postal Listing Battalion, in line with the Library of Congress’ Analysis Information. She died in 2002 at age 83, in line with The New York Instances.

The redesignation is one in every of quite a lot of circumstances during which the Naming Fee of the Division of Protection is looking for to take away “the names, symbols, presentations, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederacy or someone who served voluntarily with the Confederacy,” in line with a January DOD press free up.

“The Naming Fee sought to suggest names which might be ‘inspirational to the Infantrymen and civilians who serve on our Military posts, and to the communities who improve them.’ They delivered precisely that with those two inspiring leaders,” Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly mentioned within the March press free up, including: “Their super accomplishments — from International Struggle II throughout the Chilly Struggle — talk to the necessary historical past of this set up and to the braveness, dignity, and devotion to responsibility that we try to instill in each Soldier coaching right here on the house of the Military Sustainment.”

The rite is about to be livestreamed on Fb at 12:45 p.m. ET on Thursday.