Fort Gordon is Now Officially Fort Eisenhower
In a ceremony full of pomp and circumstance this morning, Fort Gordon officially became Fort Eisenhower.
The new name honors former president and general Dwight D. Eisenhower, who conducted his final troop review on Barton Field, the site of today’s redesignation ceremony, 62 years ago.
The former Fort Gordon was named for Confederate General John Brown Gordon, who later served as a U.S. senator from Georgia and then governor. Fort Gordon was the last of the 9 Army installations slated to be renamed, due its ties to the Confederacy.
Fort Gordon Name Change Ceremony
Attending today’s ceremony were friends and family of the Eisenhowers, leaders from the Department of Defense, Secretary of the Army Christine E. Wormuth, and Chair of the Congressional Naming Commission Michelle Howard.
A congressional commission presented a diverse slate of ten soldiers, five of them black, as finalists to rename Fort Gordon. They included Alexander Augusta, Freddie Stowers, John Also, Charles Chibitty, Jose Lopez, Hubert Versace, Milton Lee, William Bryant, Mildred Kelly, and Emmett Paige Jr. In the end, Fort Eisenhower Commander Major General Paul Stanton said, “It was his (Eisenhower) dedication to ensuring equal rights for soldiers and citizens alike that continue to be an example and inspiration for the present and future soldier of the Army he so faithfully served and decisively led.”
As of today, the post in Augusta is now known as Fort Eisenhower, home of the U.S. Army Cyber Command and Cyber Center for Excellence. The hospital there already bears Eisenhower’s name.
Gate 1 and Gate 6 signage has already been updated to reflect the Fort Eisenhower name change.
The other 8 Army installations that have already undergone name changes include:
- Fort Moore–formerly Fort Benning
- Fort Walker–formerly Fort A.P. Hill
- Fort Cavazos–formerly Fort Hood
- Fort Gregg-Adams–formerly Fort Lee
- Fort Barfoot–formerly Fort Pickett
- Fort Johnson–formerly Fort Polk
- Fort Novosel–formerly Fort Rucker
- Fort Liberty–formerly Fort Bragg
