As tributes to those who fought to maintain the institution
of slavery, white supremacy, and oppression are rightfully pulled down across
the nation, the controversy over names of U.S. Army installations that glorify
those who fought for the Confederacy has resurfaced.
According to a report by The New York Times, among
them is Camp Beauregard, located in Pineville, Louisiana. This camp acts as the
primary training platform for the state's national guard. Pierre Beauregard,
whom the installation is named after, was born on a sugar plantation just
outside of New Orleans and directed the forces at Fort Sumter to open fire—the
first shots of the Civil War.
Along with at least nine other Confederate leaders chosen to
give their names to various U.S. Army installations, Beauregard—the man who
commenced one of America's bloodiest wars and acted in open treason—is honored
to this day.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Secretary of the Army
Ryan McCarthy made a statement that they were "open to a bipartisan discussion
on the topic," backpedaling on previous military stances on the issue. Esper
and McCarthy have expressed their hope that other governmental bodies, like the
White House, will weigh in—despite there being no condition that these agencies
take part in the renaming process.
President Trump swiftly dismissed the idea of renaming the
installations and tweeted, "These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have
become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory,
and Freedom." He went on to say that his "Administration will not even consider
the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations."
Activists have, for years, called for the renaming of these
installations, and The Washington Post has echoed requests to rename Camp
Beauregard to Camp Rubin. Tibor, or Ted, Rubin was a survivor of the Mauthausen
concentration camp who went on to emigrate to the U.S., join the Army, and
serve in the Korean War. Rubin spent 30 months as a prisoner-of-war, and during
this time, he stole food to feed other prisoners and was subsequently awarded
the Medal of Honor.
