Fort Bragg has reclaimed its original name to honor World War II hero PFC Roland L. Bragg.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led a ceremony rededicating Fort Bragg to its namesake, reversing a previous change intended to remove Confederate symbols, Fox News reported.
As the largest U.S. Army base by population and a key force projection platform, Fort Bragg was renamed on Friday to recognize PFC Roland L. Bragg’s extraordinary valor. The base had briefly been called "Fort Liberty" under a 2021 initiative to eliminate Confederate ties from military installations.
Secretary Hegseth spearheaded the ceremony, which featured ceremonial cannon fire and the "The Caisson Song." It marked a significant reversal of the move to eliminate Confederate affiliations suggested by the National Defense Authorization Bill in 2021, which bypassed a veto from former President Donald Trump.
Fort Bragg was initially named in honor of Confederate General Braxton Bragg. The rededication reflects a focus on honoring individuals with military valor, such as PFC Roland L. Bragg, instead.
Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson highlighted the importance of Fort Bragg at the ceremony. According to him, "Fort Bragg is just not any base. It is our nation's premier force projection platform. It is a culture of toughness and warfighting, and it is a way of life. 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."
Various descendants of PFC Roland L. Bragg, including his granddaughter, attended the memorable event. Bragg is renowned for his courage during World War II when he negotiated the release of fellow prisoners after being captured by German forces in 1943. Against the odds, he navigated enemy fire in a commandeered Nazi ambulance.
Representative Richard Hudson, a Republican from North Carolina, expressed nuanced sentiments regarding the name change. "I recognize the name Fort Bragg has meaning that transcends Braxton Bragg. This is a very tough issue for many in our community and I appreciate that there is a lot of passion on both sides," he said, emphasizing the complex emotions surrounding the name restoration.
The rededication is not merely about the renaming of a base, but a reaffirmation of the legacy carried by Fort Bragg, a point that Representative Hudson highlighted. "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," he stated. Hudson supported the recent name change while supporting the local community's input in the decision-making process.
The future may hold additional changes to military installation names, as hinted by Secretary Hegseth, who expressed a personal disdain for the temporary "Fort Liberty" label. "I never called it Fort Liberty because it wasn’t Fort Liberty. It’s Fort Bragg," he asserted firmly, indicating a focus on authenticity and tradition in naming practices.
In conclusion, Fort Bragg's rededication to honor PFC Roland L. Bragg serves as an enduring tribute to military heroism. The installation continues to function as a key component in the nation's defense strategy, supporting a significant number of soldiers, family members, Department of Defense civilians, and retirees, as noted by Lt. Gen. Anderson.
The military community is working to reconcile the base’s historical identity with its namesake’s valor, reflecting a broader trend of honoring individual heroism over other historical associations. This emphasis on valor becomes evident in the planned renaming of other bases nationwide, including Fort Moore in Georgia.
The ceremony and its implications underline Fort Bragg's evolving legacy. It stands not only as a military powerhouse but as a beacon of the valor, sacrifice, and resilience epitomized by heroes like PFC Roland L. Bragg.
