FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — It was a daunting task and one that proved emotional for the people who served at the historic Army installation.
But the redesignation of Fort Bragg to Fort Liberty, which became official at a ceremony Friday morning, was a mission that pulled together soldiers, civilians, business leaders and other stakeholders in and around this city.
“I’m an old-school soldier. I believe that once the orders are given, you execute and you move forward,” Grilley Mitchell, president of North Carolina’s Cumberland County Veterans Council, told reporters this week.
“Those of us who served on Fort Bragg, we’re going to miss the name Fort Bragg,” Mr. Mitchell said. “But at the same time, as with anything else, when orders are given, we adapt and overcome and we execute.”
Fort Bragg was the latest in a string of Army installations to undergo a name change. The Pentagon announced a plan to scrub forts, bases, ships and other sites of names honoring the Confederacy and its military leaders in the aftermath of a Minneapolis police officer murdering George Floyd in May 2020.
Opened in 1918 and named for Gen. Braxton Bragg, a North Carolinian and former U.S. Army artillery commander who fought for the South in the Civil War, the sprawling Fort Bragg was at the top of the list for redesignation.
Few bases carry the historic weight of Liberty, home to the iconic 18th Airborne Corps and its most famous division, the 82nd Airborne. By population, it’s the largest military installation in the country, with over 53,000 active-duty troops stationed there and another 14,000 civilians working on site.
The new name won’t affect the day-to-day functioning of the base, officials say. But there have been a number of physical changes accompanying the new name.
Most noteworthy is the new 0.6 mile Sunset Liberty March that runs through the heart of the base. The path includes historical markers paying tribute to the service members of past generations who served at the base and its major military achievements and innovations.
Each day, an individual will march along the path to honor a veteran who gave their life for the country. Anyone can sign up for the march. Officials said the first three months’ worth of daily marches have already been claimed.
Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue, commanding general of 18th Airborne Corps, said he intends to march on Christmas Eve.
“I hope it’s snowing. I hope it’s about 28 degrees. I hope the winds are about 100 miles per hour,” he told reporters this week. “I want everyone to know that we will come out here anytime, do whatever it takes to honor and make sure we’re living up to what everyone needs us to do on this base.”
Turning the page
The name change has met resistance from some veterans who say it’s a shining example of the Pentagon’s runaway woke agenda. They argue that this prioritizes political correctness above the effectiveness of America’s armed forces. Defense Department officials vehemently reject those charges.
But it’s clear that the base initiative stretches beyond simply changing names. At each base, crews have worked to scrub all references to Confederate figures. In the case of Fort Liberty, that meant finding every plaque, picture, road sign or other reference to the rebel general.
“I’ve never done anything at this scale,” said Col. John Wilcox, garrison commander at the base.
“It’s a lot of attention to detail, a lot of hidden gems. As you start to peel back one thing, you realize there are three or four things I’ve got to go fix,” he said in an interview. “I’ve been on Fort Bragg for 15 years, so I’m sure I’ll still catch myself in conversations saying ’Fort Bragg.’ But that’s OK. Change is good. The way we’re moving across the completion line, if you will, it’s exciting. It’s exciting to turn the page and be able to put your stamp on something this significant.”
Similar changes have taken place at other Army installations across the country. Texas’ famous Fort Hood is now Fort Cavazos, named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, the Army’s first four-star Latino general. Georgia’s renowned Fort Benning was renamed Fort Moore in honor of Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, a Vietnam War hero famously portrayed by Mel Gibson in the film “We Were Soldiers.”
Louisiana’s Fort Polk later this month will be renamed Fort Johnson in honor of Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a World War I Medal of Honor recipient.
In the case of Fort Liberty, the new name has sparked changes far beyond the base itself. Across Fayetteville, a host of local businesses, from pawn shops to banks to motorcycle dealerships, include Bragg in their name. Most are expected to rebrand themselves over the next year, evidence of just how deeply the redesignation has affected the entire community. And most of those businesses are embracing the Liberty theme, said Gary Rogers, chairman of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce.
“I think our community is one of the most patriotic communities. … We’re excited about this opportunity,” he said in an interview. “I have not heard any individual businesses say they will not change their name. Will it probably happen? Sure. And it may be based on the owner, or the belief that they’ve had this name for so long. And in all honesty, they’ll probably be just fine. The fact of the matter is if you’ve been in business for 30-plus years, you may not feel the need to. And that’s OK.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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