In a revealing moment that speaks volumes about shifting priorities in U.S. government institutions, the Pentagon has reinstated webpages honoring Black and Indigenous veterans, including Jackie Robinson, the Tuskegee Airmen, Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Maj.
Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers, the Navajo Code Talkers, and the Japanese American 442nd Combat Regiment. These pages were quietly taken down as part of a broader purge of diversity, equity, and inclusion-related content initiated under Trump-era policy.
Two Defense Department officials told NPR that thousands of stories, images, and videos were flagged or removed using sweeping search terms like “gender” and “gay.” The unintended consequence? Even content like the iconic World War II aircraft Enola Gay was flagged. One official admitted, “The review is ongoing and meant to comply with the policy and not erase history,” but also acknowledged that the process was “too hasty in some respects.”
The public rationale offered by Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot was framed in terms of colorblind patriotism: “Everyone at the Defense Department loves Jackie Robinson, as well as the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee airmen… We do not view or highlight them through the prism of immutable characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, or sex.” Instead, the statement claims they are honored solely for their service, “like every other American who has worn the uniform.”
Yet, the very identities the Pentagon now claims are immaterial were historically central to these veterans’ experiences—especially in a military once segregated by race. Removing this context undermines the truth of their contributions and sacrifices.
What’s especially concerning is the framing of DEI efforts as divisive. Ullyot referred to it as “Discriminatory Equity Ideology” that “Divides the force, Erodes unit cohesion and Interferes with the services' core warfighting mission.” From a progressive standpoint, this revisionist approach threatens to flatten the rich, complicated narratives that have shaped America’s military history.
Link: NPR
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