March 19, 2025 Story by: Editor
The Pentagon acknowledged on Monday that it had mistakenly removed online pages honoring a Black Medal of Honor recipient and Japanese American service members but strongly defended its broader initiative to eliminate content highlighting contributions by women and minority groups—an effort the Trump administration considers part of “DEI” (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).
A Defense Department webpage recognizing Black Medal of Honor recipient Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers was taken down last week. The web address was temporarily modified to include “dei medal-of-honor,” which resulted in a “404 – Page not found” error, as captured in a screenshot by the Internet Archive on March 15.
A U.S. official attributed the removal to an automated process, calling it an unintentional error.
However, this was not an isolated incident. Thousands of pages highlighting the contributions of women and minority groups have been taken down as part of an effort to remove content linked to diversity and inclusion—a move Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended during a press briefing on Monday.
“I think the president and the secretary have been very clear on this—that anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength is, is frankly, incorrect,” Parnell stated. “Our shared purpose and unity are our strength. And I say this as somebody who led a combat platoon in Afghanistan that was probably the most diverse platoon that you could possibly imagine.”
Backlash Over Content Removal
The decision has sparked criticism from veterans and advocacy groups who argue that erasing the history of women, minority, and LGBTQ service members could negatively impact military recruitment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump have already removed the only female four-star officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and replaced its Black chairman, Gen. CQ Brown Jr.
“The full-throttled attack on Black leadership, dismantling of civil rights protections, imposition of unjust anti-DEI regulations, and unprecedented historical erasure across the Department of Defense is a clear sign of a new Jim Crow being propagated by our Commander in Chief,” said Richard Brookshire, co-CEO of the Black Veterans Project, a nonprofit advocating for racial equity in the military.
Maj. Gen. Rogers, originally from Fire Creek, West Virginia, received the Medal of Honor in 1970 from President Richard Nixon, making him the highest-ranking Black service member to earn the nation’s top military distinction. He was wounded three times while serving in Vietnam. Rogers enlisted in 1951, just six months before the U.S. military officially desegregated.
Throughout his career, he was vocal about the discrimination faced by Black service members. In a 1975 interview with the Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia, Rogers spoke about the challenges Black soldiers faced in advancing to leadership positions, stating:
“We still have and will have what the Department of Defense describes as institutional racism,” he said.
The Guardian first reported on the removal of Rogers’ webpage, which was restored Monday night.
Erasing the Legacy of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
Another webpage that was taken down featured the World War II-era Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, U.S. Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge confirmed on Monday.
Composed mainly of Nisei, or American-born children of Japanese immigrants, the 442nd became one of the most decorated military units in U.S. history despite facing intense discrimination. According to the Army, the unit sustained such heavy losses that it had to be replenished nearly 3.5 times. In total, about 14,000 men served in the regiment, earning 9,486 Purple Hearts, 21 Medals of Honor, and an unprecedented eight Presidential Unit Citations.
The Army removed the 442nd’s webpage as part of compliance with a Presidential Executive Order and guidance from the Secretary of Defense, according to Surridge.
“The Army is tirelessly working through content on that site, and articles related to the 442nd Infantry Regiment and Nisei Soldiers will be republished to better align with current guidance,” he said in a statement. “The Army remains committed to sharing the stories of our Soldiers, their units, and their sacrifice.”
Political and Public Reaction
The removal of the 442nd’s content, along with other diversity-focused pages, has drawn criticism from lawmakers and civil rights groups.
Hawaii Rep. Ed Case wrote a letter Friday demanding the pages be restored, stating:
“It is clear that the Army is intentionally removing these websites based solely on race without any consideration of or respect for historical context.”
The Japanese American Citizens League also denounced the decision, calling it “an attempt to erase the legacy of thousands of soldiers who gave everything for a country that doubted them.”
Bill Wright, whose father served as an officer in the 442nd, said the removal was just one example of a broader pattern across Department of Defense websites influenced by political agendas.
“We don’t have any control over that except at the ballot box,” he said, adding that he and others remain committed to educating the public about the regiment’s history.
Mark Matsunaga, a former journalist from Honolulu whose father and uncles served in World War II, welcomed the page’s restoration but warned:
“One act doesn’t solve the larger problem. They’re still eliminating all kinds of content—photos, articles, social media posts—that all help Americans to understand how diverse their military is. Clearly, this is part of an attempt to whitewash history.”
Source: PBS
