‘He’d be amazed’: Bragg family reacts to Fort Liberty name change back to Fort Bragg

Fort Liberty will officially be switched back to Fort Bragg.

On Monday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum declaring the Army would rename the post from Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg. Hegseth posted video of him signing the memo on X.

“This 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,” Hegseth said in the memo.

According to Hegseth, Fort Bragg will be named after Private First Class Roland L. Bragg, who served with the Army during World War II.

WRAL News informs Bragg family of name change back to Fort Bragg

WRAL reporter Shaun Gallagher was the first person to break the news to Roland Bragg’s family about the name change. The family said they missed a call from an Army lieutenant colonel Monday night, but they weren’t sure why.

The switch to Fort Liberty in 2023 initiated because of the history behind the original Fort Bragg namesake, Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general.

The name is being changed back to Fort Bragg for Roland Bragg who, during the Battle of the Bulge, drove a stolen German ambulance 20 miles to get a wounded soldier to an Allied Forces hospital in Belgium. Roland Bragg was awarded a Purple Heart and a Silver Star for his actions.

When Roland Bragg got back from war, his family said he didn’t talk much about it and led a modest life in Maine, helping the community thrive.

Roland Bragg died about 25 years ago, but WRAL News asked family members how they think he’d feel knowing the largest Army post in the world bears his name.

"He'd be amazed," described Debra and Christopher Sokoll, the daughter and son-in-law of Roland Bragg. "I think he'd be rather humble about it. I don't think he'd expect any special attention. He wouldn't be the type of fellow who would expect that, he would just be very surprised about it."

NC politicians react to Fort Liberty name change back to Fort Bragg

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), who represents the congressional district where the installation resides, thanked Hegseth on X after the order was announced.

"Fort Bragg is BACK!" Hudson said.

Hudson also provided a statement, saying, "I support the change. I think it’s a good, unifying compromise that is similar to the one I proposed on August 27th, 2021.”

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Brad Knott, R-North Carolina, provided a statement about the renaming.

"Retaining the name Fort Bragg is the right call," Knott wrote. "Even after the last administration 'changed the name,' current and former members of the military continually referred to the fort as 'Ft. Bragg' - and rightfully so.

"Honoring the World War II hero, Purple Heart and Gold Star recipient and valiant paratrooper Pfc. Roland L. Bragg is a meaningful tribute to the elite Special Ops, 82nd Airborne Division, and America’s Contingency Corps for which Fort Bragg is notorious."

How Fort Bragg became Fort Liberty in 2023

From 1922 to 2023, the post was named after Braxton Bragg for his actions during the Mexican-American war. While Braxton Bragg was a Confederate general during the Civil War, many historians said his poor tactics contributed to several losses during the war.

Discussions for the post's first name change began in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd protests across the nation during President Donald Trump's first term in office. Some Army facilities, according to the Department of Defense, were named after Confederate officers to earn support from local populations in the South during the height of Jim Crow Laws.

Congress established the commission to rename the bases in the National Defense Authorization Act in 2021 near the end of Trump's first term. Trump vetoed the legislation but bipartisan support in both congressional chambers overrode his veto.

In 2023, the post changed its name to Fort Liberty as part of the commission by the Department of Defense while former President Joe Biden was in office to rename nine military installations bearing the names of Confederate generals.

During a campaign stop in Fayetteville, then-Republican nominee Donald Trump campaigned said he would restore the post's original name during the 2024 election.

What's next

Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin told WRAL News he was surprised by the about face on the name change, adding the order from Hegseth seemed to contradict the administration's commitment to efficiency and cost savings.

"The renaming process, which included Gold Star families who felt Liberty was a true reflection of what our service men and women defend day-in and day-out," he said.

According to a commission report, the changes in 2023 cost about $6.37 million. It is unclear how much it will cost to change the name back to Fort Bragg.

WRAL News spoke to Colvin on Tuesday, who said he anticipates the change back to Fort Bragg will cost a similar amount.

On Tuesday, WRAL News also asked the Army about costs to change the name back to Fort Bragg.

"Renaming Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg represents an opportunity to honor one of the XVIII Airborne Corps’ own heroes, Private First-Class Roland L. Bragg who earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions during World War II," an Army spokesperson wrote. "Bragg served in the 17th Airborne Division, which was part of the XVIII Airborne Corps, and we are proud to honor his legacy and all those who have called Fort Bragg home.

"We have already begun coordination on the way ahead. More details will be forthcoming."

Hegseth said the Army would “take all the steps necessary and appropriate actions to implement this decision in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.”