A Department of Defense (DoD) website honoring Charles C. Rogers, a Black U.S. Army general and Medal of Honor winner for his actions during the Vietnam War, has been removed. This action follows policy reversals on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) throughout U.S. agencies during Donald Trump’s presidency.
The website, once available, now shows a 404 error notice. The URL was reportedly changed from “medal” to “deimedal,” adding to the concerns regarding removal of historical military efforts.
Webpage Removal Triggers Controversy
The problem was highlighted when author Brandon Friedman posted a screenshot of the Google result for the Department of Defense’s website on Bluesky. When users tried to visit the page, they received an error message that read, “The page you are looking for might have been moved, renamed, or may be temporarily unavailable.”
This is blood-boiling. Charles Rogers was awarded the Medal of Honor in Vietnam after being wounded three times leading the defense of a position.
Google his name and the entry below comes up. When you click, you’ll see the page has been deleted and the URL changed to include “DEI medal.”
— Brandon Friedman (@brandonfriedman.bsky.social) March 16, 2025 at 7:55 AM
This removal follows as federal agencies reduce DEI programs. The critics say that the elimination brings shame to the accomplishments of Black military leaders, bringing into doubt historical representation in the military.
Who Was Charles C. Rogers?
Charles C. Rogers was the most decorated African American Medal of Honor recipient. Born in Claremont, Fayette County, West Virginia, to a coal miner father, Rogers was awarded the country’s highest military honor for his acts of heroism in Vietnam.
President Richard Nixon posthumously awarded Rogers the Medal of Honor in 1970 for his actions on November 1, 1968, when he engaged in a fierce fight near the Cambodian border.
The West Virginia Hall of Fame tells us what happened, “While manning a fire support base, members of the 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Rogers, found themselves in a desperate struggle. Enemy forces launched an attack that penetrated the base perimeter. Wounded three times over the next two days, Rogers directed artillery fire and led counterattacks until the enemy force was repelled.”
A Legacy Under Threat?
As commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery Regiment, Rogers was instrumental in defending Fire Support Base Rita from relentless North Vietnamese assault. Despite being gravely injured, he kept leading and fighting personally.
Rogers died in 1990 and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery. His deletion from the DoD’s website has led to doubts about the recognition of Black military heroes in U.S. history.
As DEI policies are being undone in every government agency, worries arise at the erasure of significant characters such as Rogers from public light.
