The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently faced significant criticism following the temporary removal of a webpage dedicated to Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers, a distinguished Vietnam War hero and the highest-ranking African American to receive the Medal of Honor. This action has sparked concerns about the potential erasure of minority contributions within the military amid ongoing policy changes targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Maj. Gen. Rogers was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1970 by President Richard Nixon for his extraordinary bravery during the Vietnam War. His courageous actions, including leading defensive efforts under intense enemy fire despite multiple injuries, exemplify the valor recognized by the nation’s highest military honor. His legacy also includes a burial at Arlington National Cemetery and a bridge named in his honor in his home state.
Over the weekend, visitors to the DoD’s website seeking information on Rogers encountered a “404” error message, indicating the page was unavailable. Notably, the URL for his page had been altered, replacing the word “medal” with “deimedal,” a change interpreted by many as aligning with recent efforts to dismantle DEI programs within federal agencies.
This incident coincides with the current administration’s directives to eliminate DEI initiatives across the federal government. An executive order issued shortly after President Trump’s inauguration stated: “It is the policy of the United States to protect the civil rights of all Americans and to promote individual initiative, excellence, and hard work. I therefore order all executive departments and agencies to terminate all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements.”
The removal of Rogers’ webpage has been met with widespread backlash. Social media platforms buzzed with criticism, with users expressing outrage over what they perceive as an affront to the legacy of a Black war hero. One Twitter user commented: “This is infuriating. Charles Rogers is a Black Medal of Honor recipient following his heroic actions in Vietnam. The Department of Defense has just taken down his website and has relabeled the URL as ‘deimedal-of-honor.’ DEI. This is an insult to this veteran’s legacy.”
Further compounding concerns, reports have emerged that articles about the Navajo Code Talkers—Native American Marines who used their language to create an unbreakable code during World War II—have also disappeared from several military websites. These pages now display “DEI” in their URLs, suggesting their removal is part of the broader rollback of diversity-focused content.
In response to the public outcry, the DoD has reinstated Rogers’ webpage, restoring it to its original form without the “dei” alteration in the URL. However, the incident has intensified debates about the implications of dismantling DEI initiatives and the potential erasure of minority contributions to the nation’s history and military heritage.
