Fort Gordon becomes Fort Eisenhower in renaming ceremony
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Fort Gordon on Friday officially became Fort Eisenhower during a renaming ceremony.
With the change, the post became the last of nine military installations to get new names, dropping their old monikers that honored people tied to the Confederacy.
The post now stands in honor of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the World War II general who went on to become president and who was known for his love of the Augusta area.
The former name honored John B. Gordon, a Confederate general who later served as a U.S. senator from Georgia and as governor.
“Fort Eisenhower will forever be associated with an incredible soldier, statesman, visionary and world leader,” Majo. Gen. Paul Stanton, commander of the post, said at the ceremony.
Quoting Eisenhower himself, Stanton said: “It’s time for change.”
Also at the ceremony was Christine E. Wormuth, secretary of the Army.
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“As the name of this post changes it doesn’t mean that we have forgotten the service or sacrifice of the many soldiers, civilians, and families who have called this place home over the last eight decades,” she said. “Instead it signifies that we’re embracing the future before us, honoring one of our nation’s most storied leaders and sending a clear signal of the army we want to be and the values that make us who we are.”
Also attending the ceremony were friends and family of the Eisenhowers and leaders from across the Department of Defense, including granddaughters Susan and Mary Jean Eisenhower, and Michelle Howard, a retired iral who chaired the Congressional Naming Commission.
“62 years ago on a cold January day, President Eisenhower stood on this parade field with a large hometown Augustine crowd in attendance to hold the most meaningful formation of his service,” said Maj. Gen. Paul Stanton.
As the cannon blasts, a new future begins.
The ceremony was full of visual symbolism, including the “casing” of the garrison’s old colors,” representing the change in the name:
“You combine visionary world leader, warrior statesman, man of character with the technology, it’s the perfect combination for Fort Eisenhower,” said Maj. Gen. Stanton.
It’s a name that just means more here.
Gen. Eisenhower’s granddaughter Susan Eisenhower said: “He loved this place, and it offered a kind of respite and an opportunity to let his brain rest.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Starrett said: “We will absolutely make sure that we are incorporating his namesake into training so that they understand where it started. And how we got from where we were to where we are today.”
And, of course, the grand moment was the unveiling of gate signs bearing the new names:
The simultaneous lifting of the veils was projected on a large screen at the back of the podium on the installation’s Barton Parade Field.
The name change is the culmination of a process that began in 2021, with a commission studying the need to change installation names and recommending new ones.
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