Ft. Hood to Officially Become Ft. Cavazos

BY SUZANNE GAMBOA

Veteran & Military Connection

DATES TO REMEMBER

▪ Navy Reserve Birthday (March 3)

▪ Hug a GI Day (March 4)

▪ K9 Veterans Day (March 13)

▪ American Legion Birthday (March 15)

F ort Hood, the sprawling Army base in Central Texas, will be officially renamed Fort Cavazos on May 9. From that day on, Fort Hood will carry the name of Gen. Richard Cavazos, a highly decorated war veteran who was the first Latino four-star general and first Latino brigadier general. It currently bears the name of a Confederate general, John Bell Hood.

The name change was recommended by the Department of Defense's Naming Commission, which was created in 2021 after Congress ordered in a defense spending bill the removal of all imagery and titles honoring the Confederacy. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin ordered the commission's recommended name change last October.

"We are proud to be renaming Fort Hood as Fort Cavazos in recognition of an outstanding American hero, a veteran of the Korea and Vietnam wars and the first Hispanic to reach the rank of four-star general in ourArmy," Lt. Gen. Sean Bernabe, commanding general of the III Armored Corps and Fort Hood in a statement.

"General Cavazos' combat proven leadership, his moral character and his loyalty to his soldiers and their families, made him the fearless, yet respected and influential leader that he was during the time he served and beyond," Bernabe stated.

Fort Hood is the headquarters of III Armored Corps and the renaming ceremony — open only to invited guests and media — will be held there, base officials said in a news release. The event is not open to the public because of space constraints, but the event will be livestreamed on the base's social media sites, according to the base's statement.

Cavazos, who died in 2017 at 78, was a Mexican American born in Kingsville, Texas. He commanded III Corps, headquartered at Fort Hood, among other assignments.

Cavazos earned the Silver Star and Distinguished Service Cross for leading the “The Borinqueneers,” a segregated regiment made up of Puerto Rican soldiers during the Korean War. Former President Barack Obama gave the unit, officially E Company, 2nd Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment, the Congressional Gold medal in 2014.

“As a young lieutenant in Korea, he led his company on three separate charges of an enemy position, returned to the field five times to evacuate his wounded soldiers before allowing medics to treat his wounds for that action,” Ty Seidule, a retired Army brigadier general who served as vice chair of the Naming Commission, said of Cavazos when the commission announced its recommendation last May.

Cavazos also served in Vietnam in 1967, commanding the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, and earned his second Distinguished Service Cross.

He retired to San Antonio and is recognized for mentoring "many" Army commanders, Fort Hood officials said in their news release.

Fort Hood is home to the 1st Cavalry Division and other divisions and commands. More than 34,500 military personnel and 48,500 family members are stationed at the base. Fort Hood also is a used by U.S. Reserve and National Guard for training and mobilizing.

2023 Community Activities

Los Hermanos

Familia remind the public of 2023 events including: The Bilingual Financial Literacy Workshop will take place each Tuesday in April.

The 7th Annual Adelante Awards Gala will be held Friday, May 5, 2023.

The 9th Annual Cinco de Mayo Parade will be held Saturday, May 6, 2023.

▪ National Medal of Honor Day (March 25)

▪ Vietnam Veterans Day (March 29)

PURPLE HEART SOUTH PLAINS OF TEXAS CHAPTER MEETINGS 3rd Saturday at 110 a.m., at American Legion, 6628 66th St, in Lubbock. For more info call Steve Oien at (707) 592-4598.

VETERAN SUICIDE HOTLINE If you know someone is actively considering suicide, call the veterans' suicide hotline at 1 (800) 273-8255. It's a service rendered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. DISABILITY.GOV This website gives information on disability programs and services. It helps find information on how to apply for disability benefits, find a job, get health care or pay for accessible housing. www.disability.gov

HELP OUR MILITARY HEROES is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the military wounded with fully equipped handicapped vehicles. www. helpourmilitaryheroes.org

Important Numbers

Teléfonos de interés para los veteranos SUICIDE & CRISIS LINE 9-8-8

U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs 806-472-3420

The 15th Annual "Vamos a Pescar, Let's Go Fishing" Event will be held Saturday, August 5, 2023.

The 8th Annual Veteran's Parade will be held Saturday, November 11, 2023.

A complete list of calendar events, projects, dates and details or online registration can be found at www. loshermanosfamilia.org. For sponsorship or call (806)792-1212.

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