Why was Fort Bragg renamed in 2023? Troubled history explored as Fort Liberty restores name for Ronald L Bragg

Fort Liberty is abandoning its name on Friday and will henceforth be known as Fort Bragg again. However, this time it won't be in honor of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, the Department of Defense announced.

As reported by PBS, a ceremony was held for the same, one that veterans said was necessary in making the U.S. Army more Black-friendly. The change, brought on by the Department of Defense, was triggered by the 2020 killing of George Floyd. Since then, several military installations named after Confederate soldiers have been renamed.

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The origins of Fort Bragg's name explored:

This time around, the fort will be named in honor of Ronald L Bragg, a World War II hero, instead of the treasonous general. Fort Bragg was renamed to Fort Liberty on June 2, 2023. At the time, the change was made to comply with the law that took effect on January 1, 2021, brought on by Republicans and Democrats in Congress:

"We were given a mission, we accomplished that mission and we made ourselves better," Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, the commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, told reporters after the ceremony, as reported by PBS.

Private First Class Roland L. Bragg served in the Army during the Second World War. The Secretary of Defense said, according to WCNC, that he was bestowed with a Silver Star and a Purple Heart during that time. Bragg also played a role in the Battle of the Bulge and the 17th Airborne Division. However, they did not say where he was from or how long he served in the military:

“Pfc. Bragg fought with distinction in the European theater of operations. He received the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, and the Purple Heart for wounds sustained, during the Battle of the Bulge. 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,” Defense Secretary Hegseth’s memo says, according to City View NC.

The base was initially named after Braxton Bragg, who served as an Army general in the Mexican-American War. However, he later served as the Confederate general in the Civil War. Fort Bragg bore his name for a century, from 1923 to 2023.

However, as reported by WCNC, President Joe Biden changed the names of nine military bases that bore the names of Confederate leaders, a change that reportedly cost about $6.37 million. It remains unclear how much the latest name change will set the government back.

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President Donald Trump, who opposed the name change, vowed to restore Fort Liberty’s name back to Fort Bragg during his 2024 campaign. As for the other bases, they are being renamed in honor of Black soldiers, U.S. presidents, and pioneering women.