‘Novosel’ recommended new name for Rucker

More than 34,000 nominations were submitted to the Department of Defense Commission evaluating the renaming of nine military installations named for Confederate leaders.

In the Wiregrass, Fort Rucker, named for Col. Edmund Rucker, a brigade commander in the Confederate Army during the Civil War—who was given the honorary title of “general”—is one of the bases.

The commission’s recommendation of new names were released May 24.

The William “Mac” Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for 2021 created the eight-member commission to develop a plan for renaming the bases. Officially named the “Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America,” the commission is commonly called the “Naming Commission.”

The Congressional commission reports to the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee. Retired United States Navy Admiral Michelle J. Howard chairs the Naming Commission. Other members, appointed by Congress, are retired Army Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, vice-chairman; retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick; Jerry Buchannan; retired Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller; Lawrence Romo; Dr. Kori Schake; and United States Rep. Austin Scott from Georgia.

“The Naming Commission sought to find names that would be inspirational to the soldiers and civilians who serve on our Army posts and to the communities who support them,” said Howard. “We realized that we had more heroes than we did bases to name.”

Fort Novosel is the name that will be recommended by the commission in their final report to Congress, due by Oct. 1. If accepted by Congress the renaming plan for each of the new names will be implemented by Jan. 1, 2024.

The name recommendation is in honor of the late Michael J. Novosel Sr. of Enterprise who served in the United States military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. In order to serve in the Vietnam War, he gave up the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve and became a chief warrant officer in the Army. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration, for his bravery in conducting a medical evacuation under fire in the Vietnam War.

“The names of our military installations should appropriately reflect the courage, values and sacrifices of our diverse military men and women, with consideration given to the local or regional significance of names and their potential to inspire and motivate our service members,” Howard said after the name recommendations were released May 24.

“And we were overwhelmed with the greatness of the American Soldier—from those who gave their entire adult lives to the Army, to those who sacrificed themselves in valorous acts. We were reminded that courage has no boundaries by man-made categories of race, color, gender, religion or creed,” Howard said. “From privates to generals, we found hundreds of military members who exemplified the core values of the Army. As we visited installations, we were touched by the contributions of the soldiers' families and community groups who support them. They work faithfully and tirelessly alongside our military members.

“Our goal was to inspire today's soldiers and the local communities with names or values that have meaning. We wanted names and values that underpin the core responsibility of the military, to defend the Constitution of the United States. We wanted names and values that evoke confidence in all who serve—confidence that by emulating those whose names are on the installations, we too can rise to every challenge, overcome every obstacle, achieve excellence, and, if necessary, sacrifice our lives for this country and her people.”

Fort Rucker came into existence during the early months of World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The United States entered the war on Dec. 8, 1941, and on Dec. 15, 1941, Congress voted an appropriation of $10 billion for the defense of the United States and the mobilization of active military called for the creation of new training camps and military bases, including Camp Rucker, according to “The Origins of Fort Rucker,” written by the late Dale County Judge Val McGee.

The original name of the post was Ozark Triangular Division Camp, but before the camp was officially opened on May 1, 1942, the War Department named it Camp Rucker. Camp Rucker became Fort Rucker in 1955.

According to the naming commission website, duties of the commission include “assessing the cost of renaming or removing names, symbols, displays, monuments or paraphernalia that commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America.”

A plan to remove the “names, symbols, displays, monument or paraphernalia” is also required of the commission, according to the website. “Include in the plan procedures and criteria for collecting and incorporating local sensitivities associated with naming or renaming of assets of the Department of Defense.”

Naming Commission recommendations, in addition to the Home of Army Aviation, are to rename Fort Benning, Ga. to Fort Moore; Fort Bragg, N.C. to Fort Liberty; Fort Gordon, Ga. to Fort Eisenhower; Fort A.P. Hill, Va. to Fort Walker; Fort Hood, Texas to Fort Cavazos; Fort Lee, Va. to Fort Gregg-Adams; Fort Pickett, Va. to Fort Barfoot; and Fort Polk, La. to Fort Johnson.

“These names we are recommending embody the best of the United States Army and America,” Howard said.

If approved by Congress, the plan will be implemented by Jan. 1, 2024. “While we anticipate that renaming activities would take place around that time-frame, the role of the commission is strictly to provide recommendations, not execute activities on behalf of the Department of Defense,” according to the naming commission website.

There are other military installations with names linked to the Confederacy, but the commission is empowered to make recommendations only for Department of Defense assets. This means the commission cannot consider new names for National Guard installations which fall under the operational control of their respective state governments