What Is Fort Polk Called Now? Why Louisiana’s Army Base Was Renamed
Meta description: Fort Polk in Louisiana was renamed Fort Johnson in 2023, then returned to the name Fort Polk in 2026. Here’s what changed, why, and who the names honor.
Fort Polk, the U.S. Army installation in west-central Louisiana, was briefly called Fort Johnson. The Army renamed it in 2023 to honor World War I hero Sgt. William Henry Johnson, replacing a name associated with a Confederate general. In 2026, the installation returned to the name Fort Polk under a Defense Department policy restoring several former Army base names. The name now refers to a different soldier: a World War II veteran named Robert B. Polk—not Confederate Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk, the person originally honored.
What Is Fort Polk Called Now?
As of 2026, the installation is called Fort Polk. It is in Vernon Parish, near Leesville, Louisiana, and is home to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), a major Army training facility. The name Fort Johnson was in use from June 2023 until the 2026 redesignation.
The 2026 change restored the familiar name but assigned it a new namesake. The Army’s announcement identified the honoree as Pvt. Robert B. Polk, a World War II veteran. This distinction matters: Fort Polk’s present-day name does not honor the Confederate officer for whom the installation was originally named.
Some older maps, documents, news articles, and websites still say Fort Johnson. Those references may be accurate for the period between 2023 and 2026, or they may not yet have been updated. For current installation information, the Army’s Fort Polk website is the most direct reference.
Why Was Fort Polk Renamed Fort Johnson?
Fort Polk was renamed Fort Johnson in 2023 as part of a nationwide effort to remove Confederate names from U.S. military installations. The original name honored Leonidas Polk, an Episcopal bishop and Confederate lieutenant general during the Civil War. A congressionally established commission reviewed installations named for Confederate figures and recommended replacements.
The renaming process was not simply a local decision. Congress directed the Defense Department to review military assets named after people who served in the Confederacy and to develop a plan for changing them. The commission’s work led to a series of installation name changes across the country, including Fort Polk’s change to Fort Johnson.
The new namesake, Sgt. William Henry Johnson, was a Black American soldier who served with the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, during World War I. Johnson became renowned for fighting off a German raid while wounded and outnumbered. He received France’s Croix de Guerre during his lifetime. In 2015, decades after his death, he was posthumously awarded the U.S. Medal of Honor.
Choosing Johnson was a way to honor a decorated American soldier rather than a Confederate military leader. The name Fort Johnson took effect on June 13, 2023, and the installation held a formal naming ceremony later that year.
Why Did Fort Johnson Become Fort Polk Again?
In 2026, the Defense Department directed that several Army installations return to names they had used before the 2023 renamings. Fort Johnson was included and became Fort Polk again. The department said the restored names would honor different individuals who served in the U.S. military, rather than the Confederate figures associated with the original names.
That decision explains why the installation’s present name resembles its pre-2023 name but has a different official namesake. The restored Fort Polk honors Pvt. Robert B. Polk, a World War II veteran. It does not restore the original tribute to Leonidas Polk. The change reflects the 2026 policy of bringing back historic installation names while designating new military honorees.
The sequence can be confusing because “Fort Polk” has referred to two different namesakes at different times. In its original naming, the installation honored Leonidas Polk. Under the 2026 designation, the name honors Robert B. Polk. Fort Johnson, the name used from 2023 to 2026, honored William Henry Johnson.
Fort Polk’s Name-Change Timeline
| Period | Installation name | Namesake or reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1941–2023 | Fort Polk | Originally named for Confederate Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk. |
| June 2023–2026 | Fort Johnson | Named for World War I hero Sgt. William Henry Johnson. |
| 2026–present | Fort Polk | Restored name designated to honor World War II veteran Pvt. Robert B. Polk. |
The dates and names help make sense of references to both Fort Johnson and Fort Polk. The installation itself remained in Louisiana throughout the changes; the renamings affected its official name, signage, records, and public identity.
Who Was Leonidas Polk?
Leonidas Polk was an Episcopal bishop who became a Confederate general during the Civil War. He was killed in battle in 1864. The Army named the Louisiana installation Fort Polk in 1941, when it was being established as a training site during the buildup before the United States entered World War II.
Like several other U.S. Army posts named in the early 20th century, Fort Polk’s original name reflected a Confederate figure. Later federal reviews concluded that Confederate names on military installations were inconsistent with the Army’s goal of representing the nation’s military service as a whole. That review set the stage for the 2023 change.
Who Was Sgt. William Henry Johnson?
William Henry Johnson was born in North Carolina and served in the 369th Infantry Regiment, a predominantly Black unit that fought in France during World War I. The regiment became known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Johnson’s battlefield actions in 1918 made him one of the war’s best-known American soldiers.
During a night attack, Johnson fought German soldiers despite being seriously wounded. France awarded him the Croix de Guerre, one of its highest military honors. The United States did not award him the Medal of Honor during his lifetime; it was presented posthumously in 2015 after a review of his service. Fort Johnson’s name recognized Johnson’s courage and the service of Black troops whose contributions had often received less public recognition.
What Is Fort Polk Known For Today?
Fort Polk is best known as the home of the Joint Readiness Training Center, where Army units train for demanding operations. The center uses realistic exercises to prepare soldiers and leaders for complex situations, including large-scale combat operations and deployment scenarios. Units rotate through training at the installation as part of their preparation for missions around the world.
The post also supports military families, civilian employees, and nearby communities. Its presence has shaped the economy and daily life of the surrounding region, particularly around Leesville and Vernon Parish. That local connection is one reason name changes affect more than a sign at the gate: they can require updates to maps, public records, organizational materials, and community references.
Although the name changed, the installation’s core mission did not change simply because of the redesignation. Fort Polk remains an Army installation in Louisiana and continues to support training and readiness activities. Official information on units, services, access, and current notices is available through the Fort Polk garrison website.
Fort Polk or Fort Johnson: Which Name Should Be Used?
For current references, use Fort Polk. Fort Johnson is appropriate when describing the installation during the period from 2023 to 2026, or when discussing the name honoring Sgt. William Henry Johnson. For historical writing, the name should match the time period being discussed.
- Current installation name: Fort Polk.
- 2023–2026 name: Fort Johnson, named for Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
- Original namesake: Confederate Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk.
- Current namesake: World War II veteran Pvt. Robert B. Polk.
When checking older sources, readers should look at the publication date and the person identified as the namesake. That detail makes it possible to tell whether a reference describes the original Fort Polk, the short-lived Fort Johnson designation, or the installation’s current name.
Why the Name Changes Matter
Military installation names carry historical associations. The 2023 renaming moved Fort Polk away from a Confederate namesake and honored a soldier whose World War I service had been recognized by France and, later, the United States. The 2026 redesignation then restored the name Fort Polk while assigning it to a different American veteran.
The result is a layered history rather than a simple return to the past. Today’s Fort Polk shares its name with the installation founded in 1941, but its official namesake is different. Knowing that distinction helps explain why reliable sources may use different names and why “Fort Johnson” remains relevant in accounts of the 2023–2026 period.
Sources for Current and Historical Information
For the installation’s current name and services, consult the U.S. Army Fort Polk website. For the broader federal naming process, the Department of Defense and the Army’s official news releases provide policy updates and announcements. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s biography of William Henry Johnson offers additional background on the soldier honored during the Fort Johnson period.