DoD to rename Fort Hood after Army’s 1st Hispanic 4-star Gen.

Mar 29 2023 Staff Writer

SAN ANTONIO – Fort Hood, the United States Army’s sprawling post in Killeen, Texas, is set to be renamed after years of negative headlines that have tarnished its reputation. The military installation will officially become Fort Cavazos on May 9, in honor of General Richard Edward Cavazos, a Texas-born hero of the Korean and Vietnam wars.

DoD to rename Fort Hood after Army’s 1st Hispanic 4-star Gen.

SAN ANTONIO – Fort Hood, the United States Army’s sprawling post in Killeen, Texas, is set to be renamed after years of negative headlines that have tarnished its reputation. The military installation will officially become Fort Cavazos on May 9, in honor of General Richard Edward Cavazos, a Texas-born hero of the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Fort Hood is one of US Army installations that will be renamed based on recommendations from the Naming Commission. The commission advised the removal of names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fort Hood will officially be renamed in honor of Gen. Richard Cavazos, a highly decorated war veteran who was the first Latino four-star general and first Latino brigadier general. <a href="https://t.co/7lmGwjpL6n">https://t.co/7lmGwjpL6n</a></p>— NBC Latino (@NBCLatino) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCLatino/status/1639364088223662080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

III Armored Corps Commanding General, Lieutenant General Sean Bernabe, expressed his excitement about the decision, stating, “We are ready and excited to be part of such a momentous part of history, while we honor a leader whom we all admire.” Bernabe added that they are proud to be renaming Fort Hood as Fort Cavazos in recognition of General Cavazos’ accomplishments.

General Cavazos was the first Hispanic to reach the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Army in 1976. He achieved the rank of four-star General in 1982, becoming the first Hispanic Four-star General in the history of the US Army, before retiring in 1984.

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After a long and illustrious military career, General Cavazos spent his 33-year retirement in San Antonio, where he is credited with mentoring many Army commanders. He passed away in October 2017 and was buried at San Antonio’s Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

The renaming of Fort Hood as Fort Cavazos is a historic decision that honors General Cavazos’ service to the United States and marks an important step forward in the ongoing efforts to address the legacy of the Confederacy. The renaming will also serve as a reminder of the contributions made by Hispanic Americans to the US military throughout its history.