The Central Texas city home to Fort Hood appears to be divided over the new name of its massive military base.
Killeen, the army town married to nearby Fort Hood, is divided over the post’s renaming with supporters saying it’s about time and critics saying it’s an example of "cancel culture."
The U.S. Department of Defense announced Fort Hood, named after a confederate general, will be renamed Fort Cavazos, in honor of the Army's first four-star general.
Watch NBC6 free wherever you are
“I think it’s ridiculous,” said Air Force veteran and Killeen resident John Binkley. "The thing is, history is history. You can't change history. All you're going to do is blindfold. That's all they're doing."
Army veteran John Sais agrees.
Get local news you need to know to start your day with NBC 6's News Headlines newsletter.
"Why the change? I don't know. I don't understand. What are they trying to change?" Sais said.
An online poll in the Killeen Daily Herald found fewer than 20% of those responding supported the name change. The majority said it was unnecessary and an example of “cancel culture.”
Killeen Mayor Debbie Nash-King, a veteran herself, disagrees.
U.S. & World
"I support the renaming of Fort Hood,” she said. "I don't think you can ever erase history. But the climate that we are in today, the renaming of Fort Hood, the morale on Fort Hood, and also within the community and the nation, it's time for a change, from my perspective."
With about 40,000 soldiers, Fort Hood is the largest Army post in the country and has a proud history.
It’s named after John Bell Hood, a confederate general.
The military announced it is renaming Fort Hood and eight other bases across the country that commemorate the confederacy.
Fort Hood's new name will be Fort Cavazos, in honor of Texas-born Richard Cavazos, the Army's first Latino four-star general who once commanded Fort Hood.
Cavazos retired in 1984 and died in 2017. He's buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
Former Killeen Mayor and Army veteran Jose Segarra has mixed feelings.
He's proud Cavazos will get the honor and is ready to move on but added, "There was never a lot of people saying change the name."
"If I had a choice to leave it Fort Hood, I would have picked 'leave it Fort Hood,'” Segarra said. “Because now, it's like, I was stationed at Fort Hood. That's part of my history, you know. General Hood had nothing to do with it."
One thing everyone agrees on -- Fort Cavazos will take a long time to stick, and oldtimers will still call this Fort Hood for years to come.
But for now, Fort Hood is still Fort Hood.
The name is set to change by Jan. 1, 2024.
