We need your help!
keeping Fort Bragg Forever
A minority of people, many who are new to our community want to change our town's name.
A minority of people, many who are new to our community want to change our town's name.
Visit our Facebook page, to see what you can do to help!
Visit our Facebook page, to see what you can do to help!
We are a grass roots community group who has come together for a single goal of preserving our name Fort Bragg forever. Our mission is to spread the word and teach our diverse history and culture.
The 'Fort Bragg Forever' initiative serves as a poignant reminder that the essence of a community is intricately tied to its history, a tapestry woven from the threads of diverse cultural contributions.
The name 'Fort Bragg' is not merely an homage to an individual who never even set foot in the town; it symbolizes the collective labor, aspirations, and sacrifices of generations who have called this place home for over a century and a half. To alter the name would be to sever the town from its historical roots, thereby diluting the rich cultural mosaic that makes Fort Bragg unique.
The Truth
- Braxton Bragg was never here.
- Braxton Bragg took no part in the horrific treatment of Native American's here.
- Our town's name does not honor the man it was named for; it honors the hard working multi-cultural men and women who built a community we have called our home for 166 years.
- We are proud of the history and the contributions our families have made to our community while they lived, worked and died to make it what it is today.
- We are a tight knit community dedicated to working together to support each other.
- Our culture is that of our diverse community and all it's residents unique heritage.
- Native American’s were the first residents of our community and are still valued members.
- We can honor and teach through education including building a cultural center and public events to showcase our diverse community.
- History is not there for you to like of dislike; it's there for you to learn from. And if it offends you, even better, because then you are less likely to repeat it. It's not yours to erase; it belongs to all of us.” -US Army Ret. Lt. Col. Allen West
- Fort Bragg CA was named after General Braxton Bragg by his First Lieutenant. Horatio Gibson who served under him in the Mexican-American war in 1847.
- Braxton Bragg was a Union Army Lieutenant in the Mexican-American war, 1846-1848.
- Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which settled the Mexican-American was, the United States gained more than 500,000 square miles of land including of California.
- California was never organized as a territory but was administered by a federal military authority.
- Fort Bragg CA was named in 1857.
- The “fort” was only a United States Army Garrison, consisting of a flagpole, flying the United States flag, and a few scattered buildings.
- The last remaining structure is the former Quartermaster's building which can be seen at 430 North Franklin Street.
- In 2020 the Fort Bragg Mayor formed a committee to consider a city name change and many recommendations were made to acknowledge and honor the Native American's who inhabited the area prior to the arrival of military personnel. The committee included Native American residents.
Current Projects
Our group, Fort Bragg Forever has completed, or is working on the following projects. We’re spreading information about our fight, through yard signs, banners, fliers etc. I’m happy to say, demand for these signs has been high, but the demand is also outpacing our funds. We’re accepting donations to replenish our stock, and get more signs ordered. If you can help, please do.
You may also see our Fort Bragg Forever booth at local events from time, to time. Stop by and say hi. We love to talk about our awesome town.
If you would like to donate, please email FortBraggForever.CA@Gmail.com, or join us on Facebook for more information about how to do so. We need your help!
Check out more community events below.
Dan Maxey wants to be an Escort
Dan Maxey, of Westport California has volunteered to Escort a disabled war Veteran to the Capitol, in Washington DC. He will be paired with a disabled vet, and assist them in travel and visitation of the war veterans memorials. None of Dan’s travel is paid for, so he would like to offset costs with donations for flight, lodging and food.
Ways To Donate:
- Check to Dan Maxey
- Cash (FortBraggForever.CA@Gmail.com for info)
- Venmo (FortBraggForever.CA@Gmail.com for info)
Funds are needed by March 24th
If you have any questions about this, you can reach Dan at maximus@mcn.org
A Walking Testimony
Kyndal Ray Edwards, aka A Walking Testimony! From Jan 1, 2022-April 12, 2023, he walked across America from Jacksonville Beach Florida, with his feet in the Atlantic Ocean, all the way to Long Beach Washington State to put his feet in the Pacific Ocean. He walked across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington! He had a lot of obstacles and setbacks. But through it all, he kept going! He walked for Mental Health Awareness, Recovery, and Habits 365. He walked in memory of people who lost their lives to drug overdose and/or suicide and for the people that are currently struggling with those issues. He completed 3,292 miles putting his feet in the Pacific Ocean on April 12th 2023, which is his four year drug free date!
Fundraising for A Walking Testimony
https://allmylinks.com/awalkingtestimony2022
Read below about Kyndal’s stay while in Fort Bragg.
Kyndal’s Fort Bragg Visit
Awesome lodging here in Fort Bragg thanks to some amazing members of the community out here! Staying at the Harbor Lite Lodge this week!
I’d like to give a huge huge shout out and thank you to Omie, manager, the staff here, and Sarita, for coming together and blessing me with two nights off the rip when I made it to town! They hooked me up with a awesome room that has a beautiful view of the harbor here! When I got to my room, there was a bunch of snacks with a welcoming letter from the staff here and a couple souvenirs! What a welcome. Absolutely mind blown! There was also another gift bag on the dresser that had a couple historical books, Fort, Bragg, hat, and some more snacks! I am beyond grateful and thankful for the fact that people are touched so much by me walking and just trying to be a bright light and said awareness on some pretty important things, they want to bless me to this extent. God is good all the time, and every single one of these people are angels! Omie, Sarita, and the Harbor Lite staff, thank y’all so much for going to the next level and bless me the way y’all have. It was such a pleasure meeting y’all. God bless! Y’all matter!
A separate and big shout out and thank you to Sarita, with Fort Bragg Forever for reaching out to people in the community, who came together to hook me up with a few donations towards a pair of shoes and the night of lodging they hooked me up with. They are dedicated being a poignant reminder that the essence of a community is intricately tied to its history, A tapestry woven from the threads of diverse cultural contributions. They want to educate y’all about Fort Bragg, they do not want it to be erased. I hope I got that right! Either way, this community way before I even reached out here, has been so incredible to me. And I think it is awesome for them doing what they do. Super excited to see more of the community out here. God bless you, Sarita, and everybody involved. God bless y’all, y’all matter!
I will be in town for probably 5 to 6 days give or take a day or two and depending on whether and what I’m able to accomplish. I do have a few things I need to order. I’ll be ordering me a new pair of shoes and a new pair of rain boots . So I will have to wait for those to come in the mail before I takeoff from here. on that note, I want to give another huge shout out and thank you to the Fort Bragg police department, who reached out about covering two more of my nights, while I am here. Hopefully, I’ll be able to speak with them share my story for one of their programs that’s out here to reach the youth. God bless y’all at the police department, thank y’all, y’all matter!
God bless you all, and never forget, everybody, that You Matter and We Do Recover! 🙏❤️
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a real threat, and leads to current day slavery. This is an atrocity, and it is even happening here in Mendocino county.
“Customers across the U.S. who buy marijuana on the internet likely don't realize the labor and sex trafficking they could be financially supporting, police said. 'Some of the marijuana being moved across the country is born on the back of slave labor,' said Sena, who also heads up the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center. 'Often the people brought in to do labor are mistreated' on illegal marijuana farms. In Mendocino County, someone dropped off a frightened 16-year-old girl from Mexico who didn't know where she was and didn't speak English at an illegal cannabis farm in Covelo months ago. The sheriff fears she was brought in to have sex with the workers, but his deputies found her first. Other farm workers, including young men used for sex and labor trafficking, weren't rescued in time. Some were forced to live in squalor without plumbing. Others ended up dead and many are missing, the sheriff said. 'We have families who will never be able to know what happened to their children,' Kendall said. 'I’m not going to put up with it.'"
Read the full story, on Yahoo News.
