Texas Military Base Changes Name to Honor Hispanic General
The US military has one of the largest armed forces around the world; over 750 different bases are found in 80 different nations & 500 in the United States alone. Of those 500 military bases in the US, Texas is home to the only military base named after a Hispanic general: Fort Hood. Or at least... that's what it USED to be called.
Where is Fort Hood located?
If you travel to Kileen, you'll find Fort Hood between Austin & Waco. It was established in 1942 & was originally named after the Confederate general, John Bell Hood. But like I said before, it's not called Fort Hood anymore.
What's Fort Hood called now & who's it named after?
As of May 9th, 2023, the military base has changed its name to honor General Richard E Cavazos from Kingsville, Texas. Richard was a Mexican American who served during the Korean & Vietnam War. He was the first Hispanic brigadier general in 1976 & would later become a 4 star general in 1982. You can see more of his achievements told from the U.S. Army themselves.
Richard would sadly pass away at the age of 88 due to complications with Alzheimer's disease in 2017. In 2023, it was decided that they would change the name to honor Richard Cavazos. So if you go visit the military base now, you'll see Fort Cavazos in its place, as a way of honoring the late 4 star general.
At the time of this writing, this is the only military base in Texas (and the rest of the country) to be named after a Hispanic general. I know there are many military heroes who would definitely deserve to be honored so I hope to see more heroes get the credit & recognition they deserve.
