The Pentagon has renamed an air base in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Joint Base Charleston in North Charleston, South Carolina, will now be called Joint Base Lindsey Graham.
U.S. officials, including War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Air Force Secretary Dr. Troy E. Meink, and U.S. Senator Darline Graham, attended the ceremony.
“Senator Lindsey Graham dedicated his life to serving this state and serving the armed forces of the United States,” Hegseth said. “He served this nation, both in uniform and in both houses of Congress, as everyone here knows. But in both capacities, it was always the same mission. He knew the timeless truth that to ensure peace, we must be prepared for war. Protect your people, protect your state, protect your sovereignty, or you will lose it to someone else who is willing to take it.”
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink ordered staff to begin the process of renaming last month and based the decision on Graham’s “decades of distinguished service to the United States Congress and the United States Air Force.”
“Senator Graham’s lifelong devotion to the military was shaped by his own military service and his public service in both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives,” the letter read. “His steadfast advocacy was instrumental in modernizing our military infrastructure and enhancing aviation security, ensuring that Joint Base Charleston remains one of America’s premier military installations.”
Graham passed away on July 11 from an aortic dissection.
