Defense Secretary Renames Fort Liberty in Honor of World War II Veteran Roland L. Bragg
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has made the decision to bring the name Bragg back to one of the Army's largest bases, Fort Liberty. This base had previously replaced the name of a Confederate general in 2023.
In a memorandum signed on Monday, Hegseth instructed the Army to rename the North Carolina military installation in honor of Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II veteran who was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his extraordinary bravery during the Battle of the Bulge, according to a statement from Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot.
Ullyot stated, “This change underscores the installation's legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation.”
Prior to its renaming to Fort Liberty in 2023, the fort was named after Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg. Bragg faced criticism for his combative personality and poor performance during the Civil War. A congressional naming commission observed that Braxton Bragg is "considered one of the worst generals of the Civil War" and was "widely disliked in the pre-Civil War U.S. Army and within the Confederate Army by peers and subordinates alike."
The fort was one of nine military bases proposed for renaming under President Joe Biden's administration. The removal of Confederate names from U.S. military bases became a heated political issue towards the end of Donald Trump's first term. Despite Trump vetoing the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress managed to override his veto with substantial bipartisan support.
The Department of Defense began executing the naming commission's recommendations in 2023. Changing bases back to their previous Confederate names would necessitate congressional approval.
Hegseth, a National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, has been a vocal opponent of removing the names of Confederate generals from military bases, referring to the renaming efforts as "a sham," "garbage," and "crap." He has previously advocated for these bases to revert back to their former names, including Fort Bragg.
“We should change it back by the way,” he stated emphatically while discussing the military installation on a podcast as part of a book promotion. “We should change it back. We should change it back. We should change it back, because legacy matters. My uncle served at Bragg. I served at Bragg. It breaks a generational link.”
Monday's memo instructs the secretary of the Army to implement Hegseth's decision "in accordance with applicable laws and regulations" and to provide the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment with a timeline and the resources needed for the name change.
