OAN Staff Abril Elfi
11:23 AM – Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered U.S. Army base “Fort Liberty” to be renamed back to its original name “Fort Bragg” — but this time, with a twist.
On Monday, Hegseth signed a memo directing the U.S. Army to change the name of the North Carolina base back to “Fort Bragg.” However, this time, it would be named after Roland L. Bragg, a World War II hero who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge.
Fort Bragg was originally named after the U.S. Confederate General Braxton Bragg.
“That’s right. Bragg is back,” Hegseth said after signing the memo.
The military installation’s name was altered in 2023 as part of a larger Department of Defense campaign prompted by the 2020 George Floyd protests. One objective was to rename military installations named after Confederate leaders.
The facility was named in 1918 after Gen. Braxton Bragg, a Confederate leader from Warrenton, North Carolina, who was known for owning 105 slaves, being extremely argumentative, and losing crucial Civil War engagements that contributed to the Confederacy’s defeat.
Hegseth’s memo further explained his intentions to rename the base.
“During these hellish conditions and amidst ferocious fighting, PFC. Bragg saved a fellow soldier’s life by commandeering an enemy ambulance and driving it 20 miles to transport a fellow wounded warrior to an allied hospital in Belgium,” the memo states.
“The directive honors the personal courage and selfless service of all those who have trained to fight and win our nation’s wars, including PFC. Bragg, and is in keeping with the installation’s esteemed and storied history,” the memo continued.
Various other Army posts were renamed along with the North Carolina base as well, including Fort Benning, home to the Army’s infantry school, to Fort Moore, after the late Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, a Vietnam War commander.
Fort Hood was also changed to Fort Cavazos, named after Gen. Richard Edward Cavazos, a four-star general who fought in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.
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