In Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the renowned Army installation that briefly bore the name Fort Liberty has officially reverted to its historic designation: Fort Bragg. This renowned military post, named a century ago after Confederate General Braxton Bragg, underwent a name change in 2023 as part of efforts to remove Confederate-associated symbols from public areas.
Recently, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinstated the Bragg name, this time in honor of Army Private First Class Roland L. Bragg, a World War II paratrooper and Silver Star recipient from Maine. The renaming ceremony, held in front of the base’s command center headquarters, drew a crowd of several hundred, including active military personnel and members of the public.
Lt. Gen. Greg Anderson paid tribute to the soldier, stating, “Today we honor a hero worthy of the name Bragg. It is synonymous with excellence.” Among the attendees were members of Roland Bragg’s family, including his daughter Diane Watts and granddaughter Rebecca Amirpour. Speaking on behalf of the family, Amirpour described her grandfather as a “strong, hardworking and proud” man who rarely spoke of his military experiences during World War II.
Bragg served with the 17th Airborne Division and was awarded the Silver Star and a Purple Heart for acts of exceptional bravery during the Battle of the Bulge. Captured by German forces, he commandeered an ambulance, returning to safety with several wounded paratroopers, one of whom survived. “Rank doesn’t mean a thing when you’re in a tight spot,” Amirpour quoted from a letter her grandfather wrote while recovering from an injury in an Army hospital.
Before his deployment, Bragg trained at the North Carolina installation, as noted by his daughter. When the redesignation was announced, some perceived it as politically motivated, aligning with President Donald Trump’s criticism on the removal of Confederate names and his campaign to restore them.
Retired Major Al Woodall, a veteran of Fort Bragg, described the name restoration as akin to “a phoenix rising from the ashes.” Despite any historical connotations, Woodall, who is Black, said the name of the installation had gathered significant meaning over its hundred-year history. Carl Helton, who served at Fort Bragg during the early 1960s, expressed joy over the return to the original name, having resisted calling it Fort Liberty. “It should have never been changed to start with. It was all political anyway,” Helton remarked.
An act of Congress, which overcame Trump’s 2020 veto, previously mandated the removal of Confederate names from military sites. Despite concerns from lawmakers about the reversal costs, it remains unclear if any legislator will formally oppose the decision.
As the name restoration continues, Hegseth also announced that Georgia’s Fort Moore would return to the name Fort Benning, paying tribute to Corporal Fred G. Benning, a World War I Distinguished Service Cross honoree, rather than Confederate Brigadier General Henry L. Benning.
The switch from Liberty to Bragg occurred without initial consultation with Roland Bragg’s family, though his daughter expressed delight. The initial renaming to Fort Liberty was estimated to cost $8 million, with North Carolina’s Department of Transportation projecting over $200,000 to alter road signage. For some, such as Mike D’Arcy, who served at Fort Bragg in the ’90s, the name change to Fort Liberty was seen as a financial misstep, suggesting political salaries be cut to compensate for costs incurred by the renaming.
To Woodall, reverting the name represents a valuable investment, capturing the sentiment, “Just like coming back home again.”
This update clarifies previous misunderstandings regarding Roland Bragg’s connections to the North Carolina base, highlighting his training there prior to deployment.