Retired
ambassador, veteran: Time to change Fort Bragg’s name
Only
support from Confederate president Jefferson Davis kept Braxton Bragg from
being cashiered from the Confederate army. The name is insulting to soldiers of
color, sure – but it is also insulting to those who think an army’s job is to
win.
I served 20 years in the U.S. Army. I had
several tours at Fort Bragg while in uniform, where I trained for deployment to
my two tours in Vietnam, and many more official visits during my 30 years in
the U.S. Foreign Service and since my retirement. My service taught me we
should pull our society together whenever possible. As such, I believe that it
is long past time to change the name of Fort Bragg, named in honor of
Confederate General Braxton Bragg.
The Secretaries of Defense and Army are right
to be open to bipartisan discussions on this change (a change from the army’s
position in 2017, when the response was that such a move would be
“controversial and divisive”). At the risk of offending many North Carolinians
— whom, for the record, I regard with esteem and who live in a state I love —
those who oppose the change because it betrays our ’“rich history and tradition
of honor and victory,” I say “poppycock.” I lived for years in Fayetteville and
became a part of the local community. I do not want to offend any of my former
neighbors. Yet sometimes the case for the status quo is simply wrong.
History is important, but not every element of
history deserves adulation. It is important we view history in its proper
perspective, take into account the facts behind the events, and assess those
facts with an open mind.
Why we
have a “Fort Bragg”
First, we must understand why Fort Bragg, and
10 other army posts in the south were named for Confederate generals in the
first place.
These posts were constructed prior to World
War II. The Army needed to obtain large tracts of land, so they bowed to
pressure from local officials. This was at the height of the Jim Crow era, and
the Army itself was segregated at the time. The feelings of Black Americans –
like me – weren’t considered when agreeing to name a federal installation after
an individual who had taken up arms against the federal government. And who
often supported slavery.
To those who say that these designations
represent our traditions of honor and victory, I would point out that, in the
case of Bragg, the fort was named for a general who was considered one of the
most bumbling commanders in the war, even by his own side. He was removed from
his command after a rout at the Battle of Chattanooga. Only support from
Confederate president Jefferson Davis kept him from being cashiered from the
Confederate army. The name is insulting to soldiers of color, sure – but it is
also insulting to those who think an army’s job is to win.
The same can be said of other bases. Fort Hood
in Texas, for example, is named for John Bell Hood, who was not a native Texan,
and whose reckless decisions sped the fall of Atlanta.
Forget moral standing. Over 43% of military
personnel are racial and ethnic minorities. The day minorities do not feel they
have a place in our military is the day our greatest weakness is exposed. As
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, I worked on cases of African-American
POWs and MIA who, despite torture and deprivation, lived up to the Code of
Conduct: “I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions,
and dedicated to the principles that made my country free.”
They learned this code while training at bases
named for Confederates who betrayed our country.
Let me be blunt – Americans who care about
America’s military must press the President to reconsider his decision. If he
does not, they must vote for someone who will.
Ultimately, this is about all Americans. If we
truly wish to honor our nation’s military, and show a commitment to our values
of Duty, Honor, Country, as outlined by General Douglas MacArthur in his 1962
address to West Point Cadets, the right thing to do is name these bases for
those who have served the nation, not fought against it.
