Fort Hood, a major United States Army post in Texas, is set to be renamed after General Richard Edward Cavazos.
Earlier this year, the Naming Commission recommended the removal of all paraphernalia that honors or commemorates the Confederate States of America and its leaders, according to a Department of Defense press release. Fort Hood was named in honor of John Bell Hood, who served as a lieutenant general in the Confederate army.
Fort Hood has now become the ninth U.S. Army installation to announce a rebrand. It will officially be renamed Fort Cavazos on May 9, per the Fort Hood Press Center. The renaming ceremony will take place at the III Armored Corps Headquarters and will be a private event due to space constraints. The ceremony will be live-streamed.
“We are proud to be renaming Fort Hood as Fort Cavazos in recognition of an outstanding American hero, a veteran of the Korea and Vietnam wars and the first Hispanic to reach the rank of four-star general in our Army.
“General Cavazos’ combat-proven leadership, his moral character and his loyalty to his Soldiers and their families made him the fearless yet respected and influential leader that he was during the time he served, and beyond,” said Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, III Armored Corps Commanding General, per the Fort Hood Press Center.
“We are ready and excited to be part of such a momentous part of history, while we honor a leader who we all admire.”
Born in 1929 in Kingsville, Texas, Cavazos followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the military. He also attended Texas Tech on a football scholarship before being injured during his sophomore year.
Cavazos’ military career spanned 33 years, beginning in 1951 with his deployment to Korea. He earned the Silver Star and Distinguished Service Cross for his service and actions during the Korean War. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1967 and was awarded another Distinguished Service Cross in Vietnam for his service and leadership, per the Fort Hood Press Center.
In 1976, Cavazos became the first Hispanic American to reach the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army. He later became the first Hispanic four-star general and was the commanding general of the U.S. Army Forces Command by 1982 before announcing his retirement in 1984.
Cavazos resided in San Antonio for 33 years after his retirement. He died on October 29, 2017, and was buried in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, per the Fort Hood Press Center.
