Defense Secretary Hegseth said it would be re-named to ‘Fort Bragg’ in honor of a World War II army soldier. Bringing Bragg back. Amid the Republican’s anti-DEI push, new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that one of the country’s largest military bases will get its old name back - but honor a different person. Fort Bragg in North Carolina was renamed Fort Liberty under President Joe Biden as the country pushed to eliminate ties between the current military and the confederacy.
![[The memorandum indicating Fort Bragg will be named after Roland L. Bragg who earned medals during World War II]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/02/11/12/43/250210-D-PM193-1489.jpeg)
The North Carolina base was named after Confederate general Braxton Bragg before it became Liberty. Now, it will go back to being Bragg - but this time for Private First Class Roland L. Bragg, an Army soldier who was awarded a Silver Star and the Purple Heart for combat during WWII. Here’s what we know about the soldier Fort Bragg is now being named after:. Bragg was an Army soldier who fought in Europe during World War II, including in the Battle of the Bulge, for which he was awarded a Purple Heart, according to the Department of Defense.
Upon returning from war, Bragg moved to Nobleboro, Maine. Bragg died on January 12, 1999, in Nobleboro. He is buried at Dunbar Cemetery. The Department of Defense said he received a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his service. Bragg “fought with distinction in the European theater of operations,” the statement from the department says. One of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises was to restore the names of bases that were renamed, in part, to revoke honors associated with Confederate generals.
Congress passed a law in 2020 that called for a commission to rename bases. It was partially inspired by the nationwide racial reckoning movement that was sparked after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Fort Liberty was previously named after Braxton Bragg, a slave owner and Confederate army general who famously lost many battles during the Civil War. Republicans had long criticized the movement to remove names associated with Confederate leaders believing it was erasing history. From the moment Hegseth took office, it was clear he did not plan to keep Fort Liberty’s name intact. He referred to the base as “Fort Bragg” on his first day in office.
