FORT BENNING — Cpl. Fred G. Benning’s platoon and company commanders had just been killed during a fierce battle in France toward the end of World War I. And two of his senior noncommissioned officers were wounded and incapacitated when Benning rallied 20 others through heavy fire to their objective during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
The Nebraska native was just 18. For his courageous actions that day, Benning received the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second-highest medal for valor.
Maj. Gen. Colin Tuley, commanding general of Fort Benning, described Fred Benning’s heroism during a ceremony Wednesday for renaming the sprawling military installation near Columbus after him.
“Benning’s courage under fire — his unwavering leadership in the face of unimaginable loss — did not go unnoticed,” Tuley said. “Fifteen days later, on the eve of the final battle of that war, he was promoted to sergeant.”
Credit: Natrice Miller/ AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/ AJC
Three generations of Fred Benning’s family attended the ceremony, including his granddaughter, Sue Williams, of Neligh, Nebraska; great-granddaughter, Danielle Proskovec of Euless, Texas; and 10-month-old great-great-granddaughter, Katelyn. As the ceremony ended, Williams and Proskovec helped unveil a new “Welcome to Fort Benning” sign.
This is the third time the base in west Georgia has been named. Established just weeks before WWI ended, it was originally named after Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry Benning. In 2023, it was renamed Fort Moore in honor of the late Hal and Julie Moore, a famous husband-and-wife duo known for their strong support for military families. Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, who was also an author, received a Distinguished Service Cross for his courageous actions during the Vietnam War.
The base was among nine military installations that were renamed during the Biden administration so that they would no longer honor Confederate figures.
In March, the Trump administration announced Fort Moore would be renamed after Fred Benning, saying that change “honors the warfighter ethos and recognizes the heroes who have trained at the installation for decades and will continue to train on its storied ranges.” Critics have decried the move as divisive.
Fort Benning has estimated it will cost the military installation about $653,000 for the latest name change, including for signage, ID badges and police uniforms. The change from Benning to Moore in 2023 cost the installation about $830,000 and included removing the names of other Confederate figures.
Fort Benning has changed its signage, though there are still some Fort Moore signs outside the base.
After the ceremony ended Wednesday, Proskovec told reporters she looked forward to educating her daughter about their family’s history.
“It would be really cool to bring her back one day when she is older,” she said. “That’s our family. It’s an honor.”
After the war, Fred Benning married, raised a family and operated a bakery in Neligh, Nebraska, where he served as mayor. He died in 1974 at age 74 and is buried in his hometown of Norfolk, Nebraska.
His picture still hangs inside Neligh’s American Legion Post 172, which he once led, said Daryl Booth, who now serves as the post’s commander. Booth said his post is planning to honor Benning with its own ceremony July 3.
“He epitomizes probably what most soldiers are: ordinary people who did extraordinary things,” said Booth, a U.S. military veteran who completed training at Fort Benning. “It’s a great honor for our town.”
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Booth spoke near a new portrait of Benning, which hangs inside McGinnis-Wickam Hall on the base. Moments later, Tuley, the base’s commanding general, pointed out that a portrait of Hal and Julie Moore is displayed nearby in the same building.
“I came into the Army here with Hal Moore and Julie Moore being a part of my education,” he said. “The Moores are an interwoven part of this installation. And that will never go away.”
Hal and Julie Moore are buried at Fort Benning. Henry Benning is buried in Linwood Cemetery in Columbus.
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