VERNON PARISH, La. — A US Army base in Louisiana has been renamed from Fort Polk to Fort Johnson.
The full name of the Vernon Parish Army base is Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson, named after Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
Johnson was a Black soldier who served during World War I and single-handedly fought off nearly two dozen Germans, killing at least four of them.
Johnson was awarded the Purple Heart and the Medal of Freedom.
The base was previously named for Confederate commander Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk.
This is one of the latest efforts in Louisiana to be renamed as part of an ongoing effort to remove Confederate leaders from military bases.
