Prince George military base will be called Fort Lee again — but for a different Lee

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- After about two years being known as "Fort Gregg-Adams," the U.S. Army base in Prince George County will return to being called "Fort Lee" -- though it's not technically named for the Confederates' commander anymore.

Following an act of Congress in 2020, several U.S. Army bases with names that honored Confederates had their names changed. Three bases in Central Virginia were among them.

In 2023, Fort Lee -- originally named for Confederate commander Robert E. Lee -- was renamed to "Fort Gregg-Adams" in honor of two Black army pioneers: Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams.

Gregg, who died in 2024, was both the first Black brigadier general in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps in 1972 and the first Black lieutenant general in the U.S. Army in 1977. He served for more than three decades. At the time of his retirement in 1981, he was the highest-ranking Black officer in the U.S. Military.

Adams, who died in 2002, was the highest-ranking Black woman officer during World War II. She was also the first Black woman officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

The other two Central Virginia bases are located in Nottoway County and Caroline County. The Nottoway base was renamed Fort Barfoot after Van T. Barfoot, a World War II hero and Medal of Honor recipient. The Caroline base was renamed after Civil War surgeon and Medal of Honor recipient Mary Walker. The original names were Fort Pickett and Fort A.P. Hill, respectively.

On Tuesday, June 10, President Donald Trump announced that he wanted to return the names of Confederates to the impacted U.S. Army bases. A day later, on June 11, the U.S. Army responded by saying that it would "take all necessary actions" to restore these names.

However, a prohibition within that 2020 act of Congress prevents “names related to the Confederacy” from being used. So, to comply with the law, the bases were renamed after soldiers with the same or similar last names as the original Confederates.

In a June 16 press release, a spokesperson for the Prince George base said the base will "immediately transition" to its new name -- which now honors Private Fitz Lee, a Medal of Honor recipient who was born in Dinwiddie County.

According to the spokesperson, Lee fought in the Spanish-American War and rescued wounded soldiers during the 1898 landing at Tayabacoa, Cuba.

"Fitz Lee's legacy is one of bravery, humility and unshakable dedication to his fellow soldiers," said Major General Michelle Donahue in the release. "By bearing his name, this installation deepens its connection to our local heritage and our Army's enduring values."

Signs and materials are currently being updated, according to the spokesperson. "Educational resources and community programming" will be provided to support the transition.

Donahue added that Gregg and Adams' legacies will "remain a respected and enduring part of he post's history, with continued recognition in meaningful and lasting ways."

"Our mission remains unchanged," Donahue said. "We move forward -- unified in purpose, strengthened by our past and inspired by the legacy of those who served before us."

8News has reached out to U.S. Army officials to learn the estimated cost of this renaming and has not heard back as of the time of reporting. The estimated cost of renaming Fort Lee to Fort Gregg-Adams in 2023 was over $2.3 million.