Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was redesignated as Fort Liberty on Friday, marking it as the one main Army base not having a namesake honoring a major determine within the drive’s historical past.
Fort Liberty is broadly thought of one of many Army’s highest-profile installations, serving as the house of the service’s 82nd Airborne Division — set to deploy wherever on the earth inside hours, Special Forces and the secretive Delta Drive.
The transfer is part of the Protection Division’s ongoing effort to clean namesakes honoring Accomplice rebels who took up arms towards the U.S. in the course of the Civil Struggle, largely to protect slavery within the South. Fort Liberty is one in all 9 Army bases being renamed, and the ceremony there Friday means the hassle is greater than midway full.
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“This neighborhood … will know we’re prepared to make sure the freedom of our residents in all places,” Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, stated on the redesignation ceremony Friday morning.
Fort Liberty can be distinctive among the many Army’s portfolio — the one main set up and not using a namesake honoring a battle hero or in any other case influential determine within the service’s historical past, regardless of an extended checklist of Medal of Honor recipients within the airborne and Special Forces communities, amongst different notable veterans.
Donahue stated that officers thought of a large roster of names together with Grasp Sgt. Gary Gordon, a Delta Drive operator who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions in the course of the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia and immortalized within the film “Black Hawk Down.”
He and Sgt. 1st Class Randy Shughart, one other Medal of Honor recipient, fought their strategy to a crashed Black Hawk helicopter to guard the surviving pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant. A large Somali militia finally overran the place. Durant was taken prisoner however survived.
“They knew they have been going to their deaths, nonetheless went,” Donahue stated.
Different choices Donahue cited included Grasp Sgt. Roy Benavidez, a Inexperienced Beret who earned the Medal of Honor for actions in Vietnam the place he carried a number of useless and wounded teammates to a helicopter whereas severely wounded himself and below intense fireplace. One other was Sgt. Alvin York, who obtained the Medal of Honor for actions in World Struggle I after main an assault on a German machine gun nest, killing 25 enemy troopers and taking 132 prisoners.
“Each title was thought of, debated,” Donahue stated. “Any of them might have been chosen. However how do you select any and depart these others behind?”
Braxton Bragg, the bottom’s previous namesake, is broadly seen as one of many Accomplice military’s least profitable commanders. He was identified for his fast mood. He tried to invade Kentucky in 1862 however was swiftly compelled to retreat after struggling important casualties and being outmaneuvered by Union forces. Bragg needed to retreat once more after the Battle of Stones River, a significant Union victory and turning level for the battle.
He’s typically credited with the victory within the Battle of Chickamauga, the primary main battle in Georgia and among the many most important defeats of the Union in that theater. Whereas it was a tactical victory on the time, it got here at a large price for the rebels, by which greater than 2,300 of its troopers have been killed — practically 700 extra fatalities than the Union.
Along with the army base, there’s additionally a California seashore city additionally named Fort Bragg honoring the Accomplice normal. There have been efforts lately from lawmakers and activists to vary the title, however native leaders haven’t come to a consensus.
The service can be set to rename Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia; Fort Gordon, Georgia; and Fort Polk, Louisiana, within the coming months.
— Steve Beynon could be reached at Steve.Beynon@army.com. Observe him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.
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