US Army bases recently went through a period of identity crisis.

After the US Civil War, a lot of US Army bases in the former Confederate South ended up being named for Confederate Generals. The idea was to remind the Southerners that the country was once again united, and their losses were “our” losses, and shared by all as we moved forward. At least that was the idea, I suppose.

In a very public and high-profile series of events, a lot of forts recently got their names changed to reflect others who had done great things in the US Army. I admit that the names of the bases wasn’t really something on my radar, but when the names were changed I felt that the people chosen to be honored were good choices, and fit the bases they were representing.

Now the names are being changed back, ostensibly to reflect “tradition”. It is a sleight-of-hand, since these names are the same as the old names, but the powers-that-be found different people with the same family names but… well, let’s say, more palatable history. So Fort Benning, for example (my alma mater) was originally named for Confederate General Henry L. Benning. It was changed to Fort Moore, after Hal Moore who served in Vietnam, and was then changed back to Fort Benning… but this time for Corporal Fred Benning, who won a Distinguished Service Cross in World War 1.

Changing the names of the posts is an expensive proposition: a lot of signage has to be changed. Letterhead, stationery, business cards, you name it. And when something like this happens, you know what to do: follow the money.

Who’s behind all this? Historical revisionists? People with agendas? No, no…

…It’s a conspiracy …by BIG SIGN.