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 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.
“Bragg is back!” Hegseth wrote in an announcement online.
Here’s what we know about the soldier Fort Bragg is now being named after:
Who is Roland L. Bragg?
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.
Born in Sabatus, Maine, on June 11, 1923, Bragg’s parents were Calvin Leroy Bragg and Ella Stevenson, according to ancestry records. He was assigned to the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Divison and stationed at Fort Bragg.
Upon returning from war, Bragg moved to Nobleboro, Maine
Bragg was married to Barbara Picinich and the two had at least two daughters, Linda and Debra, according to newspaper records.
Bragg died on January 12, 1999, in Nobleboro. He is buried at Dunbar Cemetery
What did Roland L. Bragg do?
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.
Bragg is credited with stealing a German ambulance to drive a wounded soldier to the hospital and saving his life, according to WeAreTheMighty.com.
Why is Fort Liberty’s name being changed?
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.
