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Arlington National Cemetery has removed from its online platform significant information regarding the contributions of black and female service members throughout history. This action has been noted particularly by military-focused publications such as Task & Purpose.
Among the deleted content were profiles of veterans who have been honored with the Medal of Honor, the United States’ highest military award. This move appears to align with a broader initiative led by President Donald Trump aimed at curtailing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts within the military and across federal agencies.
The cemetery, which serves as the final resting place for approximately 400,000 veterans, was established after the Civil War on the property of General Robert E. Lee, a prominent figure in the Confederate Army. As of recent observations, several links on the cemetery’s website that previously guided users to sections dedicated to notable figures, including black, Hispanic, and female veterans, are now absent.
Previously accessible pages featured brief biographies of distinguished individuals like General Colin L. Powell, the first African American to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the heroic tales of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black aviators in the United States military. Following public outcry earlier this year, the Defense Department had to restore materials about the Tuskegee Airmen that were also removed in adherence to Trump’s directives on DEI.
Additionally, information on Hector Santa Anna, a World War II bomber pilot renowned for his service, has also been erased from the website. Visitors looking for comprehensive historical context may find the navigation challenging, as sections dedicated to African American History, Hispanic American History, and Women’s History no longer appear.
While some biographical information about notable women interred at Arlington remains, including that of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and veterans from the unit depicted in the Oscar-nominated film, The Six Triple Eight, access to such information now requires a specific search input.
Since assuming office again, President Trump has executed multiple executive orders aiming to eliminate DEI initiatives within government operations. A representative from the cemetery stated that they are actively working to restore the content while ensuring that it meets both Trump’s executive orders and directives from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Representative Adam Smith, who serves as the leading Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, has expressed strong opposition to the removal of this content. In a statement to the New York Times, he expressed deep concern over the implications of such actions, emphasizing that despite potential flaws in how DEI has been implemented elsewhere, the military has not demonstrated similar issues.
Continued changes in the military under Trump’s second term have raised eyebrows, particularly his decision to dismiss General CQ Brown, who supported diversity efforts within the armed forces. Secretary Hegseth, a former Fox News host and military veteran, has committed to eliminating diversity-related initiatives and has labeled General Brown as “woke.”
Currently, there are approximately 2.03 million individuals serving in the U.S. military, with around 30% identifying as members of minority groups, such as black or Native American, and 18% identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Furthermore, women constitute about one-fifth of the total military population.
Source
www.bbc.com