Retired two-star Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard condemned President Trump for his defense of military bases named after Confederate generals.
Pittard, who is black, commended branches of the military that have already taken steps to separate themselves from Confederate figures and noted the Army, in particular, has made “great strides” in tackling systemic racism.
“I don’t know if he’s not getting good advice from his advisers or he’s just not listening. The bottom line is those bases, they need to be renamed. I applaud the Marine Corps for moving forward with moving all Confederate paraphernalia from Marine Corps bases as well as Naval bases, and the Army needs to do the same thing,” Pittard said.
“There are 10 installations in the Army that still are named after Confederate generals who betrayed our nation. They need to be renamed,” he added.
Pittard, who commanded troops while serving in Iraq, said he was “disappointed” by a tweet from Trump on the issue. On Wednesday, the president said he would not consider renaming Fort Bragg or any other bases named after Confederate leaders.
“It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,” Trump wrote. “The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars.”
“Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations. Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!” he added.
It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 10, 2020
…Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with. Respect our Military!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 10, 2020
Confederate installations have received renewed scrutiny since the death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Some cities have opted to remove Confederate statues, while other monuments have been ripped down by protesters.
