At the age of 17, Arthur Gregg enlisted in the Army in 1946. His Army biography cites frustration with segregation and the service of Black soldiers during WWII as the inspiration for Gregg to join up. Gregg spent the next 35 years in uniform serving his country. When he retired in 1981 as a Lieutenant General, Gregg was the highest-ranking Black officer in the U.S. military. On April 27, 2023, Fort Lee, Virginia was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams for Lt. Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. Then-Maj. Earley commanded the all-Black, all-female 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only battalion of its kind to go overseas during WWII. On August 22, 2024, Gregg passed away at the age of 96.
Shortly after enlisting, Gregg was deployed to occupied Germany in support of supply operations there. In 1949, one year after President Harry Truman desegregated the military, Gregg attended Officer Candidate School. After commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant, Gregg was assigned to Camp Lee, later redesignated Fort Lee and eventually Fort Gregg-Adams. Gregg’s Army biography highlights his running of a supply depot in Japan, command of a supply and support battalion in Vietnam, and several assignments in Germany throughout the Cold War.
Gregg’s performance in the logistics field resulted in him leading the Army and Air Force Exchange System. The pinnacle of his career was when he served as the logistics director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics for the Army. Still, Gregg looked most fondly on his time as a battalion commander. “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 said, according to the Army. In recognition of his service and mentorship within the Quartermaster Corps, the Army established the LTG Arthur J. Gregg award for logistics innovation and excellence; Gregg was its first recipient.
At the rededication ceremony of Fort Gregg-Adams, Gregg delivered remarks. “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. When the installation was renamed, Gregg was the only living person in modern Army history to have a post named for him. According to the Army, Gregg attended events on-post until his death. Most recently, he attended the garrison change-of-command ceremony on July 31, 2024, at the Gregg-Adams Club.
“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.”