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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) 鈥� When it came to a picking a name for his business, Ralph Rodriguez rolled the dice. He went with Fort Liberty Pawn & Gun.

It鈥檚 going to cost him about $30,000.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 signage, uniforms, stationery, business cards, advertising, and state licensing changes and federal changes,鈥� he said.

When he was filing his incorporation papers last fall, Rodriguez knew one of President Donald Trump鈥檚 campaign promises was to restore the names of Confederate officers 鈥� like Gen. Braxton Bragg 鈥� to military installations rebranded under the Biden administration. But it seemed to Rodriguez that he should go with the installation’s name as it was at the time.

鈥淲e were trying to attach ourselves to the military base and show support for them, because we know that鈥檚 going to be our customers,” he said with a shrug. “I could care less about Braxton Bragg.鈥�

Less than a month into Trump’s second term, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the installation rechristened Fort Bragg, this time in honor of World War II paratrooper Roland Bragg of Maine.

Two things immediately went through Rodriguez鈥檚 mind.

鈥淭he first thing I said was, `It鈥檚 going to be expensive.鈥� And the second thing was, `Who鈥檚 going to get mad about THIS?鈥欌��

People were telling Rodriguez he should call his shop Fort Bragg Pawn & Gun even before Trump won the election. After all, it’s located on Fort Bragg Road.

Then shortly before the grand opening in December, someone vandalized his sign.

鈥淲e came to work and we seen a yellow line across the `Liberty,鈥欌�� he said.

Rodriguez is used to catching flak for his Michigan roots or the peace sign tattoo on his right arm. And then there鈥檚 his wife鈥檚 crystal shop next door.

鈥淢y customers call her side the `liberal containment center,鈥欌�� he said with a chuckle.

And what do her customers call his?

鈥渀Trumpers,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淥r, you know, `mega gun nuts.鈥欌��

As a sop to her husband鈥檚 clientele, Hannah Rodriguez carries a few stones carved in the shape of pistols and hand grenades.

鈥淐rystals and pistols,鈥� she said with a giggle.

But when it comes to Bragg vs. Liberty, it鈥檚 no laughing matter.

鈥淟ook, there鈥檚 no middle ground in Fayetteville. They鈥檙e extremely either right or left,鈥� Ralph Rodriguez said. 鈥淚f you tilt one way or another man, you鈥檙e going to lose customers … But we would definitely have lost more if we would have kept it Fort Liberty Pawn and Gun.鈥�

Several other businesses in and around Fayetteville also went with Liberty, including the local federal credit union. It has already changed back, though it will take a while to redo all the signs.

At least one company is sticking with the name Liberty.

鈥淲e came up with this whole name based on the alliteration, because I鈥檓 a big writer geek,鈥� said Sabrina Soares, broker in charge at the real estate firm Fort Liberty Living. 鈥淪o, we鈥檙e probably just going to keep it as is.鈥�

In 2023, the state spent $163,000 to change all the Fort Bragg highway signs to Fort Liberty. Switching them back is expected to run over $200,000.

Rodriguez figures he got off easy.

On a recent sultry afternoon, retired Army officer and mayoral candidate Freddie de la Cruz stopped by to chat and check up on a purchase: a semiautomatic 12-gauge shotgun, painted with the Stars and Stripes, which he’s planning to raffle off.

He said Rodriguez shouldn鈥檛 be so hard on himself.

鈥淚t was a smart move there,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t the time.鈥�

Retired Army Master Sgt. Sidney High said he has no problem coming into a shop called Fort Liberty.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 bother me at all,鈥� he said, resting his cola on a glass gun case. 鈥淚 call it Fort Bragg all the time anyway. So, it doesn鈥檛 make any difference to me.鈥�

Rodriguez figures it will take about six months to get everything switched over. He鈥檚 looking forward to putting this chapter behind him.

鈥淚 just want to be in business,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to be happy. I want everybody else to be happy. And it鈥檚 hard. It鈥檚 hard, and you can鈥檛 keep both sides happy.鈥�

Just to be safe, he鈥檚 keeping both names on the paperwork.