Fort Bragg Reclaims Its Name, Honors WWII Hero in Ceremony Overturning "Fort Liberty" Change

Fort Bragg, North Carolina, has officially reverted to its original designation, marking a significant shift in the ongoing debate surrounding the renaming of military installations with Confederate ties. The rededication ceremony, punctuated by the booming resonance of cannon fire and a spirited rendition of "The Caisson Song," signaled a decisive move to honor a World War II hero, replacing the name of an Army officer who fought in the Mexican-American War and later became a Confederate general.

Under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Army orchestrated a ceremony at the sprawling 260,000-person-strong base, located just outside Fayetteville. The event effectively reversed the previous renaming of the base as "Fort Liberty," a decision championed by Democrats as part of a broader effort to remove Confederate symbols from military spaces. The newly rededicated Fort Bragg now stands as a tribute to PFC Roland L. Bragg, a Mainer whose extraordinary bravery during the Battle of Bastogne is credited with saving the lives of numerous American soldiers.

The ceremony was attended by descendants of Roland L. Bragg, who passed away in 1999. Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson, commanding officer of the 18th Airborne Corps at the base, delivered remarks highlighting the late veteran’s distinguished service. Anderson emphasized the strategic importance of Fort Bragg, describing it as the "largest in our Army per capita," encompassing 164,000 acres and supporting a vast community of over 48,000 soldiers, 80,000 family members, 2,000 Department of Defense civilians, and nearly 100,000 retirees and their families.

"Fort Bragg is not just any base," Anderson declared, underscoring its pivotal role as "our nation’s premier force projection platform." He characterized the base as embodying "a culture of toughness and warfighting," a place where military personnel live a dedicated and demanding "way of life." Anderson further elaborated, "We refer to Fort Bragg as the center of the universe, the beating heart of our Army’s ability to deploy, without warning, anywhere across the globe, to help and assist others to respond to crises, to deter conflict and, if necessary, to fight and win our nation’s wars."

Adding a personal touch to the ceremony, Roland Bragg’s granddaughter shared heartfelt anecdotes about her grandfather, portraying him as a quiet and loving patriarch who rarely spoke of his military service. She recalled his fondness for grilling pancakes for his grandchildren, meticulously crafting them into whatever shapes the children desired, no matter how intricate.

The narrative of Bragg’s wartime experiences is filled with remarkable acts of courage and ingenuity. In 1943, he was captured by German forces. According to Anderson’s recounting, Bragg skillfully convinced a Nazi officer to release him and his fellow prisoners, leveraging the shared bond of Freemasonry. Under the agreed-upon condition that a Nazi sergeant be physically incapacitated to create the appearance of a struggle, Bragg readily complied, securing the freedom of himself and his comrades.

Following their release, Bragg boldly commandeered a Nazi ambulance, navigating it through intense enemy fire toward the American lines. In the aftermath of the harrowing experience, he believed that all the other wounded paratroopers had perished in the crossfire. It was not until decades later, through a letter from a fellow veteran in California, that he learned some had survived that fateful day.

The decision to rename Fort Bragg as "Fort Liberty" had been in effect for approximately four years, aligning with a broader initiative undertaken by Democrats to remove Confederate symbols from military bases, particularly those located in the South. The change was authorized through the 2021 National Defense Authorization Bill, sponsored by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., which included a provision establishing a commission tasked with stripping Braxton Bragg’s name from the North Carolina base. This bill successfully overrode a veto by then-President Donald Trump.

Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., whose district encompasses the base and the US-421 corridor, had previously voiced support for the removal of Braxton Bragg’s name, although he emphasized that the decision and its outcome should have been determined by the Cumberland County community. In a 2021 column published in the Fayetteville Observer, Hudson acknowledged that "the name Fort Bragg has meaning that transcends Braxton Bragg," adding that the issue was "a very tough issue for many in our community and I appreciate that there is a lot of passion on both sides."

Speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital on Friday, Hudson hailed the change to honor Roland Bragg, stating that it "honors these brave soldiers" who have served at the base "as well as their families." He emphasized the global recognition associated with the name Fort Bragg, saying, "When leaders around the world hear the name Fort Bragg, they know it represents the men and women of our Airborne and Special Forces stationed there. These are some of the most dynamic, capable, and elite troops in our military. When President Trump needs a rapid military response, he calls Fort Bragg."

The article also mentions that Fort Moore, Georgia, formerly known as Fort Benning after Gen. Henry Benning of Appling, Georgia, is also expected to undergo a similar redesignation under Hegseth’s leadership. The plan is to rename it Fort Benning, but in honor of a World War I recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross with the same surname.

Several other military bases were renamed in 2021 as well. Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, named after a close friend of Gen. Stonewall Jackson, was renamed. Fort Lee in Petersburg, Virginia, is now Fort Gregg-Adams. Fort Hood, Texas, is now Fort Cavazos. Fort Rucker, Alabama, is now Fort Novosel, and Fort Pickett in Nottoway, Virginia, is now Fort Barfoot. The article concludes by noting that it remains to be seen whether the Pentagon will seek to rename the remaining redesignated installations.

In closing, the article quotes Hegseth’s view on base name changes. He hinted that more changes are coming, driven by Trump and his administration. "I never called it Fort Liberty because it wasn’t Fort Liberty. It’s Fort Bragg," he stated definitively. This statement underlines the strong political undercurrent driving these decisions and suggests that the debate over the names of military installations is far from over. The return to "Fort Bragg" signifies a significant victory for those who opposed the previous renaming and a renewed emphasis on honoring military heroes over figures associated with the Confederacy.