Pentagon Restores Webpages Honoring Black and Japanese American Troops Amid DEI Purge
The Pentagon is facing backlash after erasing—and then quietly reinstating—web pages honoring Black and Japanese American military heroes amid its sweeping removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
While the Department of Defense reversed course on these specific removals, officials continue to defend a broader purge that has wiped out thousands of pages celebrating the contributions of women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ service members under the Trump administration.
Last week, the Defense Department webpage dedicated to Black Medal of Honor recipient Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers temporarily vanished, its URL altered to include the term “deimedal-of-honor,” which led to a “404 - Page Not Found” error, according to a screenshot captured by the Internet Archive on March 15.
The Associated Press reports that a U.S. official attributed the takedown to an automated process but did not elaborate on how such errors occurred amid the administration’s aggressive push to eliminate DEI-related content across military platforms.
During a briefing on Monday (March 17), Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the move, emphasizing that “anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength is, is frankly, incorrect.” He insisted that “our shared purpose and unity are our strength” and pointed to his experience leading a diverse combat platoon in Afghanistan.
However, the removal of these pages—alongside thousands of others celebrating the service of women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ personnel—has drawn sharp criticism from veterans, historians, and lawmakers. Critics warn that the administration’s focus on erasing DEI-related content could undermine military recruitment and morale.
Richard Brookshire, co-CEO of the Black Veterans Project, described the purge as "a clear sign of a new Jim Crow being propagated by our Commander in Chief.” He pointed to the Pentagon’s broader pattern of dismantling diversity efforts, including the removal of the military’s only female four-star officer, Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and the first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown Jr.
As criticism mounts, the question remains whether this effort to eliminate diversity-related content will ultimately backfire, reinforcing the very divisions the administration claims to oppose.
