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Ft. Lee, Virginia, was named for Robert E. Lee, one of its most famous sons – but a Confederate due to the fact his state joined the Confederacy.<\/p>\n
Fort Lee \u2014 initially named after the Confederate general Robert E. Lee \u2014 was briefly changed to Fort Gregg-Adams under President Joe Biden\u2019s administration in its efforts to remove any connection to the Confederacy from current military bases.<\/p>\n
Following the recommendations of a special committee, Fort Lee was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams to honor Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams. Both joined the Army prior to its desegregation, with Gregg rising to become the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics for the Army while Adams commanded the 6888th Central Postal Directory during the Second World War.<\/p>\n
It was the first Army base in U.S. history to be named for Black Americans.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
I am admittedly biased – we have enough heroes in our military pantheon that nothing the military has should ever be named for less than a military hero. I know logistics is what really wins wars, and soldiers love mail – but even so,\u00a0fighting<\/em> is what the military s supposed to do, right?<\/p>\n
Well, Ft. Lee is about to be named for a warfighter, and a damned good one.<\/p>\n
However, under Trump, the fort will yet again be the home of another milestone. It will be renamed for Pvt. Fitz Lee, a Buffalo soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Spanish-American War.<\/p>\n
Born the same year Congress created standing Black units, Lee, a Virginia native, enlisted in M Troop, 10th Cavalry in 1889. After nearly a decade with the Army, Lee, serving as a private, found himself bound for Cuba after the U.S. declared war on Spain on April 25, 1898.<\/p>\n
On June 30, 1898, Cuban freedom fighters and American soldiers disembarked the steamship Florida, attempting an amphibious landing at Tayabacoa, Cuba. Almost immediately, the landing party found themselves engaged in enemy fire.<\/p>\n
Ambushed, the landing group soon retreated, leaving behind at least 16 wounded to become prisoners of war.<\/p>\n
After several rescue attempts failed, Lee, Cpl. George H. Wanton, Pvt. Dennis Bell, Sgt. William H. Thompkins and Lt. George P. Ahern stepped forward and volunteered.<\/p>\n
Wading ashore, the five soldiers managed to surprise the Spanish, successfully freeing their wounded comrades.<\/p>\n
All but Ahern were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in Tayabacoa, with Lee receiving his while hospitalized at Fort Bliss, Texas. His time in Cuba had left him with severely limited vision, swollen limbs and abdominal pain that caused him to be bedridden for three months, according to NPS.<\/p>\n
On July 5, 1899, a few days after receiving the Medal of Honor, Lee was medically discharged from the Army.\u00a0\u00a0Military Times<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
H\/t to Jeff LPH for this one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"