David Moore said his family is dismayed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent decision to change the name of Fort Moore, Georgia, which had been renamed in 2023 to honor his parents Lt. Gen. Harold G. “Hal” Moore and Julia Moore.
“We’re saddened; I’m personally angered that the secretary of defense in choosing the characteristics and qualities he wanted of the renaming, he chose to reject Hal and Julia Moore, and those very qualities and characteristics that they already represent,” Moore, a retired Army colonel, told Task & Purpose on Tuesday.
Hegseth announced on Monday that Fort Moore will once again be named Fort Bragg, but now instead of being named for Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning, the post would honor Army Cpl. Fred G. Benning, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism during World War I.
“CPL Benning was the living embodiment of the Infantryman’s Creed, as he never failed his country’s trust and fought to the objective to triumph for his unit and his country,” Hegseth wrote in a memo on Monday. “This directive honors the warfighter ethos and recognizes the heroes who have trained at the installation for decades and will continue to train on its storied ranges.”
But Moore said that the base already celebrated the attributes that Hegseth cited by honoring the legacy of Hal and Julia Moore.
Hal Moore is best known for leading the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment during the first major battle of the Vietnam War in the Ia Drang Valley in November 1965. Despite being badly outnumbered, Hal Moore’s soldiers fended off relentless attacks and left more than 600 enemy dead. Hal Moore was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism during the fight.
Julia Moore helped establish the modern casualty notification system, according to the Army. During the Battle of Ia Drang, the Army was not prepared to deal with so many casualties, so it had taxi drivers deliver telegrams to the families of fallen soldiers. Julia Moore offered comfort to the wives of fallen soldiers, attended many funerals, and helped change Army policy so that uniformed soldiers would deliver next of kin notifications.
“I think that they have done a disservice to my parents in their zeal to rename Benning for the Benning name,” Moore said. “I don’t want to diminish anything that Cpl. Fred Benning achieved. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, as my father was, and that’s a great award for heroism. And so, I don’t take anything from him. I just adamantly, firmly believe that Secretary Hegseth already had what he sought, when you read the public announcement of renaming Fort Moore as Fort Benning. And it’s just very disappointing, saddening, and I guess to some degree, I’m angry that the secretary of defense was unwilling or unable to see the value of Hal and Julia Moore and Fort Moore and what it could mean to the future of the Army.”
Still, Hegseth’s decision to rename Fort Moore does not diminish Hal and Julia Moore’s contributions to the Army in any way, the younger Moore said.
The Defense Department declined to provide any comment for this story beyond Hegseth’s memo.
This is the second time that Hegseth has reversed changes to the names of nine Army posts that originally paid homage to Confederate leaders. In February, he announced that Fort Liberty, North Carolina, would again be named Fort Bragg as a tribute to Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg — a paratrooper awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The base had originally been named for Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg.
All nine Army bases that bore the names of Confederates were renamed in 2022 and 2023 following recommendations by an official naming commission. Moore said that he was originally opposed to the idea of renaming Fort Benning in honor of his parents, but he later saw the name change as an opportunity for future generations to emulate Hal and Julia Moore’s commitment to the base, its soldiers, and their training.
“When the name was changed, that was what gave me energy, gave me hope that we’re creating a better future,” Moore said. “Better futures take time, and we weren’t afforded the time.”
Hegseth’s memo also ordered the Army to honor Hal and Julia Moore’s legacy “in a manner that celebrates their significant contributions to the local community and the Army,” but Moore said he has not yet heard from any military officials about exactly how that will be done.
“They had what they needed,” Moore said. “All they had to do was do nothing, and I think over time, we would have used the example of Hal and Julia Moore to raise great soldiers in the Columbus, Fort Moore area. So, if they have anything else in mind, the family hasn’t been contacted.”
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