Topline
Secretary of Defense Hegseth Renames Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg, but not without delay, bypassing the Confederate General's name.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared on Monday that Fort Liberty will be rechristened once again as Fort Bragg—a name it had before, in 2023, as part of the Pentagon's wider crusade to rescind special titles given to officials and soldiers linked to the Confederacy—but insists this change does not pay tribute to the Confederate general Braxton Bragg.
Main Points
- Hegseth signed a memorandum to rename Fort Liberty in North Carolina to Fort Roland L. Bragg while flying to Stuttgart, Germany on a military plane from Joint Base Andrews.
- The new name honors World War II hero Private First Class Roland L. Bragg, who was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his bravery during the Battle of the Bulge.
- The Pentagon statement mentioned that the name change highlights the base's legacy of honoring individuals who displayed exemplary service and selflessness.
What about Roland L. Bragg?
- Bragg served in the U.S. Army's 17th Airborne Division during World War II and earned the Silver Star. His actions during the Battle of the Bulge, a remarkable act of courage, saved a wounded soldier's life while taking light injuries himself.
- John Eisenhower, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower's son and a military historian, wrote about Bragg's heroism in his book, “The Bitter Woods.”
- After the war, Bragg returned to Maine and owned a body shop, Nobleboro Building Movers, and a portable sawmill business. He passed away in 1999 at the age of 75 due to cancer.
Significant Quote
The Pentagon's statement concludes, "This change underscores the installation's legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation."
Background Information
- Fort Bragg was converted to Fort Liberty in 2023 as part of a broader mission to update monuments and installations with names honoring Confederate soldiers.
- The move backlit an Act passed by Congress in late 2020, triggering the Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd's death. The Act mandated removing "all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America…or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America."
- In his campaign trail past year, President Donald Trump challenged the name change, vowing to restore it if elected. Hegseth's decision to name the base in honor of a different Bragg bypasses the law restricting the usage of Confederate names for U.S. military assets.
Additional Resources
- Hegseth renames North Carolina military base Fort Roland L. Bragg (Associated Press)
After Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum to rename Fort Liberty in North Carolina, he chose to honor World War II hero Private First Class Roland L. Bragg. Hegseth, during his flight to Stuttgart, Germany on a military plane from Joint Base Andrews, announced that the base would be named after Bragg, a soldier who displayed immense bravery during the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
