WASHINGTON, D.C. – Could the largest army base in the world be on course to get a new name?
This week, Congress is weighing whether to require the Pentagon to rename military installments that currently carry the name of Confederate leaders. That includes Fort Bragg, which is named for a Confederate general.
Lawmakers in both chambers are considering including a provision in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act – a massive defense bill – requiring the bases be renamed over the next few years.
Across the south, there are roughly 10 Army installations named for Confederate figures. The names have gotten renewed public interest in recent weeks, in the light of the death of George Floyd and the resulting public outcry over racial injustice in the United States.
Rep. Alma Adams, D-12th District, is among those saying it is time for Fort Bragg to see a name change.
“This is 2020,” she said. “We know there are some very difficult things that have happened in the past. I don’t think we need to continue to celebrate those things.”
Some lawmakers, however, are expressing unease about the push to rename bases.
“At what point do we stop? Do we go and rename Washington, D.C. because George Wasington had slaves? Do we rename Georgetown?” said Rep. Greg Murphy, R-3rd District.
A native North Carolinian, Braxton Bragg fought for the United States in the Mexican-American War, before serving as a general for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He later served as a military advisor to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
Flash forward several decades, Fort Bragg was established as Camp Bragg in 1918. Several other installations across the country were also named for Confederate leaders during World War I and World War II eras.
Michael Newcity, a visiting professor at Duke University, says the naming of Fort Bragg is in some sense a special case. Unlike in other instances, he said, there did not appear to be widespread pressure from local leaders to name the camp after a Confederate leader.
“Fort Bragg is the one instance in which there appears to have been no political or civic influence,” he said.
Instead, he said, the mere length of Bragg’s name was apparently key in the choice, along with the fact Bragg was from North Carolina and had ties to the field artillery.
That said, he notes that the fact Bragg was selected represents a “triumph” for the "Lost Cause" myth, which aims to paint the Confederacy and its cause in positive terms while glossing over slavery.
“It’s clear in World War I that the U.S. Army didn't really think any differently of the Confederate generals as they thought of the Union generals,” Newcity said. “It’s all one group of American soldiers.”
“Clearly, they also were not thinking about any issues relating to African American sensibilities,” he continued.
What does Rep. Richard Hudson, the congressman who represents Fort Bragg, make of all of this?
“The decision of whether to rename Fort Bragg or not rename Fort Bragg, in my opinion, ought to be made by the Fort Bragg community,” said Hudson, R-8th District. “If the decision is made to rename it, we ought to set some standards. It ought to be someone connected to Fort Bragg who’s received some of the highest military honors.”
Recently, Pentagon leaders indicated they were open to “a bipartisan discussion” about removing Confederate names. However, President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed back on those calls via Twitter.
Late Tuesday evening, the president weighed in again on Twitter, threatening to veto the defense bill over the provision requiring the name change.
On Tuesday, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, released his own proposed amendment to the defense bill, saying that instead of mandating that the names be changed, a commission should be created to study military assets honoring Confederate figures, before determining how to move forward.