MILITARY MATTERS: Columbus Author Releases Book With New Fort Benning Stories

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - A new book with Fort Benning stories came out around the same time the Army installation changed its name to Fort Moore, but not on purpose. The local author and her Ranger husband talked to us about the new read.

“I’ve been sharing these stories for more than 20 years,” author of new book Bridgett Siter said.

She used to be a military reporter, learned a lot about history of the Army installation where she worked. She kept digging and has now put it all in a book called “Fort Benning Stories, Lies and Legends.”

“Stories about murder on Fort Benning...mascots on Fort Benning, growth and evolution on the Post, ghost stories. Everybody loves a good ghost story,” Siter said. “I even talk about the land before it was Fort Benning, when it was inhabited by Creek Indians.”

She says it’s not pure history but a motley collection of humorous and haunting stories about pioneers and what happened on the Post next to Columbus.

Her husband, who served in the Army 22 years and is in the Ranger Hall of Fame, still works on what’s now Fort Moore as Warrior Training Center Deputy Commander.

“Not only putting this book together, but literally my entire career, she’s truly been the rock, so I’m really proud,” the author’s husband & WTC Deputy Commander CSM (Ret) Tom Siter said.

He gets emotional because the stories are genuine. Siter’s daughter gave her the idea.

“She said Mom you’ve already written the book, just put those stories together,” Bridgett Siter said. “I was actually a little bit concerned it would be...maybe folks would see it as a protest, if you will, it was never meant to be that.”

The author says her book was supposed to come out last February, but delays had it published around the same time as the name change to Fort Moore. Siter says there’s no connection.

She added, “It is an attempt, at the very last moment, to preserve the history of the last 100 years of this great Installation, when it was Fort Benning.”

“I think Bridgett really does a great job of pulling human interest stories together out of the installation,” CSM (Ret) Siter said.

Her next book signing is this Saturday afternoon, July 29 at the Phenix City Library. Also in the book is Siter’s email address.

“I’m having folks reach out to me and share their stories. It means a lot, some fabulous ones, maybe fodder for another book.”

The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, plus locally at Ranger Joes, Commandos, and Two Sisters Gallery.

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