RICHMOND, Va. –
By order of the Secretary of Defense, the Virginia National Guard’s Fort Barfoot military installation near Blackstone, Virginia, has been renamed as Fort Pickett, effective June 11, 2025, to honor 1st Lt. Vernon W. Pickett for his extraordinary heroism during World War II.
While pinned down by enemy machine gun fire, Pickett crawled forward and destroyed two enemy positions with grenades. After being captured, he escaped from a transport train with fellow prisoners of war and rejoined his unit before being killed in action. For his heroic actions, Pickett received the Distinguished Service Cross.
The installation was redesignated March 24, 2023, to honor Col. Van T. Barfoot, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient. The VNG will explore appropriate ways to recognize and preserve Barfoot’s legacy and contribution to ensure his service remains part of the installation history. VNG senior leaders have spoken with Barfoot’s family to inform them of the change.
Vernon W. Pickett was born on Aug. 12, 1912, in Pineville, Louisiana. During World War II, 1st Lt. Pickett served in Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment. On July 15, 1944, near Azelot, France, Picket's unit was subjected to crossfire from two enemy machine guns and pinned to the ground. The enemy fire was so intense that Pickett had to remain under cover until daybreak, at which time he crawled to each of the enemy machine guns and destroyed them with hand grenades.
Afterwards, he was he caught in alternate friendly and enemy artillery barrages, rendered unconscious by concussion, and captured by the Germans. On Aug. 3, he and a group of other prisoners – including about 300 other American POWs – were moved out of camp and loaded into boxcars.
On the night of Aug. 5, Pickett and other POWs escaped by cutting the fastener holding the boxcar door closed. They made contact with an advance patrol from the 5th Armored Division in the vicinity of St. Martins, France, on Aug. 12, and Pickett returned to duty with the 137th Infantry Regiment on Sept. 1, 1944. Two weeks later he was killed in action.
Pickett was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism and is buried at Alexandria National Cemetery in his hometown of Pineville, Louisiana.
For more information, please contact usarmy.pentagon.hqda-ocpa.mbx.mrd-press-desk@army.mil.
Sources:
“Vernon W. Pickett,” Hall of Valor by Military Times
https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-32409/
“1st Lt Vernon W Pickett,” 134th Infantry Regiment Website
http://www.coulthart.com/134/137-ir/pickett-v-w.htm
“1LT Vernon W Pickett (1912–1944),” Find-A-Grave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7013887/vernon_w_pickett