Hegseth signs memorandum to officially change the name of Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum restoring the name of the Army post known as Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg. In a video posted on X, Hegseth was shown signing the memo, then saying, while looking into the camera: "Bragg is back."

The name change materializes one of the promises made by President Donald Trump, who had assured on numerous occasions during his presidential campaign that the military base's original name would be returned. It was changed in 2023 by the administration of former Democratic President Joe Biden, who received criticism from both sides of the U.S. political spectrum.

Origin of the new name

Despite the fact that some leaders of the Democrat Party and some liberal journalists have asserted over the last few weeks that the new name had a strong racist connotation, the truth is that the change from Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg is in honor of a World War II hero.

Initially, these leftist figures explained that Trump wanted to honor Braxton Bragg, who was a North Carolina general who fought in the Mexican-American War in 1847 and then was part of the Confederates in the U.S. Civil War. However, the Department of Defense explained name instead honors Roland Bragg, who fought against the Nazis and was decorated with a Purple Heart and a Silver Star for his heroic actions during the Battle of the Bulge.

During a press conference, the department's press secretary, John Ullyot, stated that "This change underscores the installation’s legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation."