It may take some time for long-time Georgians to remember, but Fort Benning is no…more. Fort Moore became official on Thursday, with a ceremony at the Columbus-area Army training hub led by post commander Maj. Gen. Curtis Buzzard.
Named in honor of Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia, the fort is home to some 70,000 soldiers and civilian workers, as well as the Army Ranger School, the elite forces of the U.S. Army. The name is the first time a base has been named in honor of a couple, something the family insisted upon.
“While honored, we refused unless Fort Benning was named for both Hal and Julie Moore. You see, they were an inseparable command team. Without each other, they would not have achieved what they did. Therefore, naming Benning for just Hal would overlook the equally significant contributions and sacrifices of Julie,” said the family.
The naming is a symbolic recognition of the tremendous contributions from the families at home, who help to raise children, pay bills and keep stability at home while soldiers are on the battlefield or abroad.
“Given their mutual achievements, renaming Fort Benning for both allows the Army and the Nation to finally, explicitly recognize the silent, behind-the-scenes yet vital contribution of the military spouse,” said the family.
Moore was based at Fort Benning and earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his service in Vietnam. Julie Moore was responsible for lobbying the Pentagon and the public to ensure military families would be notified of war casualties in person. During her husband Hal’s service in the Ia Drang Valley, Fort Benning was overwhelmed with casualty numbers and had begun delivering the news by telegrams delivered by taxis. Julie was horrified and began following all the taxis to console the families. Her dedication led to the Army’s change in policy.
“I join with Major General Buzzard and the entire Columbus community in honoring the service of Lieutenant General Hal Moore, Julia Moore, and the entire Moore family,” said Senator Jon Ossoff. “Today’s designation of Ft. Moore is a testament to the extraordinary sacrifices all our military families make every day.”
Mel Gibson got to know Hal Moore a little bit during the filming of the movie “We Were Soliders,” based on Moore’s book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young. The story tells the tale of Moore and his men during the early years of the Vietnam War. Moore leads an air cavalry unit into Viet Minh territory and unknowingly finds himself in basecamp of 4,000 North Vietnamese soldiers.
“What a great name for that fort. It’s more than fitting. I had the pleasure, the honor, the privilege of getting to know the owner of that handle, General Harold Moore, and his dear wife Julie,” said Gibson.
Gibson played Moore in the film and consulted him closely on the film. He also went to visit Moore shortly before his death in 2017. Gibson was effusive in his praise for the new name and recorded a video a few days ago recounting some of his experience with Moore and what his legacy means.
