Editor’s Observe: Okay. Denise Rucker Krepp, a profession Navy civilian worker, is a former Maritime Administration chief counsel who began her federal profession as a Coast Guard officer. She subsequently served as a Transportation Safety Administration lawyer and Home of Representatives Homeland Safety Committee senior counsel. The views expressed on this commentary are her personal. Learn more opinion at CNN.
My household’s Rucker surname is acquainted in some army circles and amongst many who take into account themselves aficionados of Accomplice historical past. The Ruckers have a historical past of army service going again generations. They’ve additionally had deep roots in America’s shameful Accomplice previous. That features my distant cousin, Col. Edmund Rucker.
The United Daughters of the Confederacy named a chapter in Alabama after Col. Rucker about 37 years in the past. However a good larger honor got here again in 1942, when the US army named an Army base in Alabama after him. The bottom bore the identify Fort Rucker till one yr in the past this month, when the army stripped it away.
To be clear, I’m not happy with my household’s legacy or its historical past in one of many darkest chapters of America’s previous. I’m additionally not blind to the truth that I share the Rucker identify with many Black People. Ruckers and their family owned plantations all through the South, together with in Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama.
There are even communities bearing the household identify — “Ruckersville” — in Virginia and Georgia. It’s by no means removed from my thoughts, once I meet a Black American bearing the Rucker identify, that there’s a very good likelihood we’re linked, though not by marriage. We’re, fairly probably, associated by slavery.
A step towards justice and therapeutic
Having a army base or different army asset named after an ancestor is an enormous deal. It seems that getting that identify eliminated is not any small factor. However within the case of Confederates like Edmund Rucker having their names faraway from bases it was a mandatory step towards justice and therapeutic.
The method of fixing the identify of Fort Rucker started in 2020 amid the protests that erupted on account of the killing of George Floyd and the next discussions about racism. Congress included a provision within the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act for Fiscal 12 months 2021 creating a commission tasked with recommending new names for, or removing of, army belongings named after Confederates. Former President Donald Trump vetoed the laws, however there was overwhelming bipartisan and bicameral assist for the change, and Congress voted to override him.
The army providers assigned liaisons to assist the fee establish belongings named for Confederates and I used to be requested to be the Navy liaison. I used to be thrilled to have the ability to participate within the technique of eradicating my household’s identify from the Military base in Alabama. And there are other Confederate descendants who supported renaming federal belongings bearing the names of family who, as a substitute of combating to protect america, fought to dissolve it.
Till then, I hadn’t spoken about my household lineage to my bosses on the US Navy. I hadn’t shared that I’m a part of the identical household for whom Fort Rucker was named. I hadn’t shared that my nice, nice, nice grandfather Howell Cobb was president of the Provisional Accomplice Congress and had sworn in Jefferson Davis as president of the Accomplice States of America. Nor had I shared that Cobb had approved building of the ship that fired the primary naval shot within the Civil Struggle. I rapidly informed Navy leaders who I used to be, and so they informed me that I had a job to do. My subsequent telephone name was to the Military. They have been offering administrative assist to the Naming Fee. A Rucker was going to assist them.
Previous to becoming a member of the Navy as a civilian, I’d served on energetic obligation within the Coast Guard. My dad and mom have been each Military officers so my army service wasn’t surprising, however the alternative of service was. Now and again, my dad and mom requested me why I hadn’t joined the Military, as that they had. My reply was all the time the identical — as a result of I didn’t wish to must reply questions on my final identify. Rising up as an Military brat, I used to be repeatedly requested if I had any connection to Fort Rucker. I didn’t wish to must reply the identical questions as a army officer.
As soon as the renaming course of was underway, nonetheless, that anonymity was over. The creation of the Naming Fee led me to look at anew how my household’s historical past, together with the very Rucker identify, had damage others over centuries. I used to be particularly conscious in regards to the expertise of Black American army personnel.
How, I questioned, did Black Military personnel really feel about serving on a base named for a Accomplice? How did it really feel to be required to put on shirts emblazoned with the identify of a person who supported slavery? And I’ve typically requested myself how Black People felt about reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at a army base named for somebody who fought in opposition to the Union and who was dedicated to their subjugation and enslavement.
Shortly earlier than the fort’s identify was modified, I published an essay expressing assist for the change. I acquired a barrage of unfavourable responses on social media accusing me of being “woke” — of turning my again, of their view, on my household. Turning my again on my household? The household that owned tons of of slaves and dedicated treason? Others have stated they have been baffled by my failure to acknowledge the uncommon honor bestowed on my household in having a army base named after a relative. Not many households have federal installations named after them so, certainly, I have to be happy with the designation. Honor is greater than a phrase, nonetheless. There was nothing honorable about taking over arms in opposition to this nation.
Honor is greater than a phrase
The renaming course of went on for months. Each once in a while throughout the fee’s tenure, my father Military Col. T.W. Rucker would ask about how issues have been going with the renaming. We talked about Col. Edmund Rucker and about Basic Henry Lewis Benning, one other relation for whom an Military base, Fort Benning, was named in Georgia. Dad expressed delight and assist for my participation within the course of. My cousins and sisters shared the identical message — preserve going, Denise.
Greater than as soon as, my father shared that in different international locations males who commit treason have been shot. That didn’t occur to my members of the family, nonetheless. Grandpa Cobb’s portrait was hung within the US Capitol till 2020, when it was taken down. My nice, nice grandfather Tinsley White Rucker served as a Accomplice soldier after which later in life served as a member of the US Congress. One other relative, Lucius Q.C. Lamar, turned the primary former Accomplice to affix the US Senate in 1877. Then-President Grover Cleveland named Lamar to be Secretary of the Inside in 1885 after which Lamar turned a justice on the Supreme Courtroom in 1888. My household misplaced the warfare, however they by no means misplaced energy.
After all, in my household’s many generations of army service, there have been some who served honorably. My father and his brother served in Vietnam. My uncle was badly shot up, however got here dwelling alive. Over 58,200 Americans reportedly did not, and their names are without end etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I affiliate the memorial with my dad’s West Level reunions.
Every Washington, DC gathering included a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the classmates who have been killed. Among the household and family members of those that didn’t come dwelling additionally attended the reunions. Every time was a poignant reminder to me how fortunate I used to be to have my dad in my life — he was there for my school commencement and for my marriage ceremony.
Fort Novosel
I considered these reunions once I discovered in regards to the selection of Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Joseph Novosel Sr., whose identify got here to switch that of my forebear at Fort Rucker. Novosel served in three wars — World Struggle II, Korea and Vietnam. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions taken in Vietnam. He risked his life to save lots of others.
Novosel flew 2,543 missions in Vietnam and helped evacuate greater than 5,500 wounded personnel. Due to him, fathers, brothers, uncles, and sons got here dwelling. They lived to see main milestones within the lives of their members of the family. I can’t consider a greater hero to switch the identify of my cousin who betrayed this nation.
Hundreds of thousands of American women and men are serving in our army or have already served. Many extra will serve sooner or later. Every service member raises their hand to pledge allegiance to america. It’s proper and simply that the federal bases and ships on which they serve are named not for traitors to our nation, however as a substitute honor American heroes like Novosel.
I nonetheless get pushback typically over my choice to participate within the course of to right a historic flawed that honored the army service of a person who deserved to be reviled. I lately attended a historical past convention the place I used to be chastised for supporting the Naming Fee. One attendee criticized the choice to take away honorable, historic Southern names from our monuments. I countered that the names weren’t honorable, and he disagreed. I then volunteered that I’m a Rucker and that I supported the change. That’s when he stopped speaking.
I didn’t attend final yr’s renaming ceremony of Fort Rucker to Fort Novosel in April of final yr. I used to be 1000’s of miles away on the time, visiting household in Wales. I discovered a dry spot at Caernarfon Fort to observe the ceremony on my telephone. Most folk affiliate the Welsh vacation spot because the investiture web site of the then-Prince of Wales. For me, it has come to represent one thing else — a brand new web page in American historical past and the tip of a chapter in my circle of relatives’s darkish story.
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