National

Army Defends Past Use of Confederate Soldiers in Base Names

Published

9 years ago

June 25, 2015

U.S. Army Col. Daniel King addresses the news media about charges against Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl at Fort Bragg, N.C., on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. Bergdahl, who abandoned his post in Afghanistan and was held captive for five years by the Taliban, was charged Wednesday by the U.S. military with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy and could get life in prison if convicted. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

U.S. Army Col. Daniel King addresses the news media about charges against Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl at Fort Bragg, N.C., on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. Fort Bragg is named after the man who led the Confederate Army of Tennessee, Gen. Braxton Bragg. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

ROBERT BURNS, National Security Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army on Wednesday defended its past practice of naming forts and posts after Confederate Army generals, saying they memorialize historic figures, “not causes or ideologies.”

The issue arose following the deadly church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, and amid debate over Confederate flags and other symbols of the Confederacy. Numerous Army posts in the South are named for Confederate soldiers.

The Army’s top spokesman, Brig. Gen. Malcolm B. Frost, issued a brief statement in the aftermath of questions about whether the military ought to consider changing the name of bases like Fort Bragg, North Carolina, which is named after the man who led the Confederate Army of Tennessee, Gen. Braxton Bragg.

“Every Army installation is named for a soldier who holds a place in our military history,” Frost said. “Accordingly, these historic names represent individuals, not causes or ideologies. It should be noted that the naming occurred in the spirit of reconciliation, not division.”

According to the Army’s Center of Military History, the earliest official policy on the naming of posts and forts is found in War Department General Order Number 11, dated Feb. 8, 1832. It said, “All new posts which may be hereafter established, will receive their names from the War Department, and be announced in General Orders from the Headquarters of the Army.”

In the World War II era of 1939-1946, almost all military installations designated as forts or camps were named after distinguished military individuals, including veterans of the Confederate Army, according to the Center for Military History.

Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said Wednesday that he is unaware of any discussion within the Defense Department about changing the names of bases that memorialize Confederate soldiers. He said it was a matter for the individual services, not the Defense Department.

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza 

On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

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Congresswoman Barbara Lee

By California Black Media

“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.

“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.

The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.

Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.

“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.