"Texas Monthly" has questioned the naming of Fort Hood in a recent article.
The editorial, It’s Time to Rename Fort Hood for a Truly Texan Hero: Roy Benavidez, suggested that the post be renamed Fort Benavidez after Master Sergeant Raul Perez "Roy" Benavidez, a Vietnam War hero. Benavidez received the Medal of Honor for his role in rescuing several of his team members in Loc Ninh, Vietnam under fire on May 2, 1968.
In contrast, the author, John Nova Lomax, says John Bell Hood "violated his oath to protect the U.S. Constitution by taking up arms against the Union."
Lomax said that Hood has been described as one of the worst Civil War generals and says he was "overaggressive and in over his head." Lomax explains in detail Hood's legacy in Texas - or lack thereof - in the article. Hood, according to the author, never actually made Texas his home, only coming to Texas to support his secessionist views and spending the last 14 years of his life in New Orleans.
"Do we continue to honor a Texan of convenience who fought ineptly against the United States government in defense of slavery, or choose instead to bestow those garlands on a native-born son of the Coastal Bend, who, in the Army’s own words, through “fearless personal leadership, tenacious devotion to duty, and extremely valorous actions in the face of overwhelming odds” epitomized “the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect the utmost credit on him and the United States Army?" wrote Lomax.
Fort Hood, also known as "America's Hammer," is the only post in the U.S. "capable of stationing and training two armored divisions."
You can read the full piece here.
