Over the 4th, I was on a road trip and noticed that Fort Hood has been renamed. So I was curious – who were “Hood” and “Cavazos”?
General John Bell Hood
In 1942, the War Department named this area dedicated to the training of World War II tank destroyers in honor of General John Bell Hood. The son of a physician, John Bell Hood was born in Owingsville, Kentucky on June 1, 1831. Hood graduated from West Point, where he studied alongside future Civil War generals James B. McPherson and Philip H. Sheridan, in 1853. During the Civil War, Gen. Hood became a Confederate Commander of the Texas Brigade during the Civil War. In 2021, it was Congress approved renaming facilities that originally named for a Confederate Officer.
General Richard E. Cavazos
On May 9, 2023, the Fort Hood was redesigned as Fort Cavazos. The post is now named for General Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. He was born on Jan. 31, 1929, in Kingsville, Texas, where he was also raised. He graduated from Texas Technological College, now Texas Tech University, in 1951 with a degree in geology, but he chose to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Army.
Throughout his 33 years of distinguished service in the military, including serving in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Cavazos demonstrated exceptional leadership and bravery. Because of this, he earned multiple service medals, including two Distinguished Service Crosses, a Silver Star, five Bronze Stars and a Purple heart. The Distinguished Service Cross is the second-highest military award that can be given to a member of the Army for extraordinary heroism in combat.
My travel companion on my road trip is retired military and told me that Gen. Cavazos was highly respected by the soldiers he led. Cavazos’ selflessness and bravery in putting the safety of his fellow Soldiers first earned him a place in history as a true American hero and an inspiration to all those who have served in the United States military.