Photo Credit: T. Anthony Bell, U.S. Army

INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE PROVIDED BY VARIOUS MILITARY SOURCES INCLUDING THE U.S. ARMY

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The first African American in the U.S. Army to hold the rank of Lieutenant General has passed away at the age of 96. Florence native Arthur J. Gregg is distinguished as the first African American Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps. Before his passing he was considered the only living person in modern U.S. history to have an American military installation renamed in his honor.

Gregg's military career began in 1946 when he first enlisted into the U.S. Army years before the military branch became fully integrated in 1954. After joining the military, Gregg quickly rose the military ranks becoming an Officer and becoming an instructor at Fort Lee, Virginia's Quartermaster Leadership School. By the time Gregg retired in 1981 he held the rank as Lieutenant General and had served in the Pentagon as the Director of Logistics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics in the U.S. Army.

In his years post-retirement, Gregg has received numerous awards and recognitions for his service, including Fort Lee in Virginia being renamed in his honor as Fort Gregg-Adams in 2023. The renaming also honors Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams who was a minority pioneer in the U.S. Army.

Prior to his death, retired Lieutenant Gregg resided with family in Richmond, Virginia where Scott's Funeral Home will be handling announcements and arrangements to come. We will continue to update information in this article as we receive new details.