Pentagon’s DEI Purge Flags 26,000 Images for Removal, Including War Heroes

The Pentagon’s directive to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) content has resulted in the flagging of over 26,000 images for deletion, including historic military figures, war heroes, and notable achievements of women and minorities in service.

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Among the images flagged for removal are references to:

WWII Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold Gonsalves
The Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
The first women to complete Marine Corps infantry training
Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black military pilots
All-female Air Force and Marine crews
Some images appear to be mistakenly flagged due to keyword confusion, including instances where “Gay” was part of a name such as with “Enola Gay”.

The purge follows President Trump’s executive order ending DEI programs across the federal government. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth mandated the military to comply by March 6, with officials estimating that up to 100,000 posts and images may ultimately be deleted.

While some historically significant images remain, the long-term impact on military archives and historical documentation remains uncertain.

Source: NPR
Image Source: US gov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons