Fort Hood set to be renamed after Richard Cavazos, Texas’ first Hispanic four-star general

Ford Hood, which is based halfway between Austin and Waco, is set to be renamed to pay tribute to Richard Cavazos, who was a Latino postwar four-star Army general.

Fort Hood was originally named after Richard Bell Hood, who was a Confederate Leader.

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin confirmed the name change in a memo to top Pentagon officials and accepted a recommendation that the base be called Fort Cavazos. Fort Cavazos was previously recommended by the Naming Commission, who are a body created by congress to suggest new names or removal of names and symbols which pay homage to Confederate figures.

“The names of these installations and facilities should inspire all those who call them home, fully reflect the history and the values of the United States and commemorate the best of the republic that we are all sworn to protect,” Austin wrote in the memo.

Federal officials have been given a deadline of January 1st, 2024 to make the transition from Ford Hood to Fort Cavazos.

Eight other military bases that derive their names from Confederate figures are also slated to have their names changed. These include Fort Moor, which was previously Fort Benning, Fort Walker, which was previously Fort A.P Hill and Fort Johnson, which was previously, Fort Polk.

According to the Texas Tribune, Cavazos was Texas’ first Hispanic four-star general. He retired in 1984 after spending 33 years in the army, which also saw him accumulate two Legions of Merit, a Silver Star, five Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, amongst other medals given both during times of war and peace. Cavazos saw out his final years in Texas before his death in 2017 in San Antonio.

“Richard Cavazos’s service demonstrates excellence at every level,” the Naming Commission wrote in a tribute to his career. “His 20th-century service will inspire soldiers as they continue those traditions of excellence into the 21st.”