Retired Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg, a trailblazing officer for whom the Army renamed an installation, died Aug. 22. He was 96.

“The entire Fort Gregg-Adams family is deeply saddened by the loss of a great American and our namesake,” said Maj. Gen. Michelle Donahue, commanding general of the Combined Arms Support Command and the installation, in a statement. “Lt. Gen. Gregg will continue to inspire all who knew him and those who serve at Fort Gregg-Adams now and in the future. His dedication and leadership will never be forgotten. Our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

On April 27, 2023, Fort Lee, Virginia, was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams to honor Gregg and Maj. Charity Adams Earley, who commanded the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the first and only all-female, all-Black American battalion to deploy overseas during World War II.

At the time, Gregg was the only living person in modern Army history to have an installation named after him. He shared his thoughts about the honor in an October 2023 Association of the U.S. Army podcast. Listen to it here.

Gregg attended events on the installation until his death, attending the most recent garrison change-of-command ceremony July 31 at the Gregg-Adams Club, according to an Army news release.

From humble beginnings in the segregated South, Gregg rose through the Army’s ranks to become the service’s first African American three-star general. Gregg, who retired in 1981 after more than 30 years of service, is considered one of the Army’s great logistics leaders of the 20th century, and he blazed the trail for generations of soldiers and officers.

At just 17, inspired by the service of Black soldiers in World War II, Gregg enlisted in the Army and deployed soon after to support supply operations in occupied Germany, according to the Army.

He went to Officer Candidate School in 1949, one year after President Truman ordered the desegregation of the military, according to the Army news release.

Gregg would go on to serve in Japan and command the 96th Quartermaster Direct Support Battalion in Vietnam. His service in Vietnam was a consequential part of his career.

“I’ve had big jobs, but I still look upon the command of that battalion in Vietnam as the most significant point in my career,” Gregg has said, according to the Army.

Gregg moved steadily up the ranks, serving in Germany and in the U.S., culminating with his assignment as deputy Army chief of staff for logistics, G-4.

Speaking at Fort Gregg-Adams’ rededication ceremony, Gregg said he hoped the name change can serve as an inspiration. “I hope that this community will look with pride on the name Fort Gregg-Adams, and that the name will instill pride in every soldier entering our mighty gates,” he said.