Defense Secretary Restores Fort Bragg Name in Honor of WWII Hero

In a surprising move, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed an order to restore the name of a North Carolina base to its original designation—Fort Bragg. This decision reverses the 2023 renaming of the base to Fort Liberty, which was part of a larger initiative under the Biden administration to remove Confederate-related names from military installations.

Fort Bragg, originally named after Confederate General Braxton Bragg, had been renamed as part of a national effort to address symbols of the Confederacy. General Bragg, who hailed from Warrenton, North Carolina, was a known slave owner and was infamous for his losses in key Civil War battles, which contributed to the South’s defeat.

The Pentagon’s decision to revert to the name Fort Bragg, however, comes with a twist. Instead of honoring General Bragg, the base will now commemorate Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II hero from the Battle of the Bulge. The new namesake was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his bravery and outstanding courage during the battle, making it a tribute to military valor rather than Confederate history.

This move allows the Pentagon to sidestep a law that prohibits military bases from being named after Confederate figures while still retaining the historically significant name. The Pentagon’s spokesperson confirmed that the renaming would honor Pfc. Roland L. Bragg’s legacy as a World War II hero, providing a modern, patriotic context to the storied base.