Fort Polk renamed in honor of Black WWI hero
TL;DR
Fort Polk, an Army base in Louisiana named after a Confederate general, has been renamed Fort Johnson in honor of Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black soldier who received the Medal of Honor almost a century after his heroic actions during World War I. The renaming is part of a $62 million project to remove Confederate names and monuments from Army bases. Johnson's bravery prevented a dozen German soldiers from capturing his fellow soldier, and he was praised by American poet Langston Hughes and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. for his actions. The renaming is a small step towards inclusivity, but more needs to be done to address racial inequities in the military.
Topics:nationmilitary#confederate-names#fort-johnson#fort-polk#medal-of-honor#military#william-henry-johnson
- Fort Polk in Louisiana drops Confederate name for Black WW I hero The Washington Post
- The U.S. Army renames a base in honor of Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black WWI hero NPR
- Army renames Louisiana base for Black World War I hero POLITICO
- The True Story Behind The Badass Black WWI Hero Honored with a US Army Base Yahoo News
- Fort Polk renamed Fort Johnson; honors sacrifice of Black World War I hero USA TODAY
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on The Washington Post