Opinion: The Attempted Erasure of a Black War Hero: U.S. Army Removes Charles C. Rogers’ Medal of Honor Page, Replaces ‘Medal’ with ‘DEI’
Was This an Accident? Not Likely. The Erasure of a Black War Hero’s Legacy
Edrea Davis – They may want us to believe it was a mistake. That a simple “404” error is all it was. But too many of us know better. We all know how many people have replaced the n-word with “DEI” to describe successful Black people.
The U.S. Army has quietly removed the Medal of Honor page dedicated to Major General Charles Calvin Rogers, a Black war hero who earned the military’s highest honor for valor in Vietnam. Instead of recognizing the sacrifice and heroism of a Black soldier who put his life on the line for a country that still refuses to fully honor him, someone decided to erase him from history.
And just to drive the point home, they didn’t just delete the page—they replaced the word “medal” in the URL with “deimedal,” inserting the now-politicized acronym “DEI” (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) into the address. Given the Republican Party’s recent obsession with dismantling DEI efforts and labeling accomplished Black people as “diversity hires,” it’s hard to believe this was just a coincidence.
For those who don’t know, Charles C. Rogers wasn’t just any soldier. He was the highest-ranking Black officer to receive the Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam.
On November 1, 1968, as a lieutenant colonel commanding the 1st Battalion, 5th Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, Rogers found himself in the middle of a relentless enemy attack at Fire Support Base Rita. The situation was dire—outnumbered, under fire, and facing an onslaught of North Vietnamese troops.
Rogers didn’t retreat. Despite suffering multiple wounds, he led his men through wave after wave of attacks, personally directing artillery fire and fighting alongside his soldiers. He refused evacuation, determined to ensure his battalion held the line. He risked his life for America, despite the fact that America treated Black people like animals in 1968. For his bravery and leadership, he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1970 by President Richard Nixon.
This is the kind of hero the Army just erased.
Let’s be clear: The erasure of Rogers’ page isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s happening in a country where Republicans have turned “DEI” into a slur, a weaponized term used to undermine and discredit Black achievement.
We see it every day—every time a Black person rises to a position of prominence, certain conservatives rush to call them a “DEI hire,” as if our accomplishments aren’t real. From Vice President Kamala Harris to Black scholars, judges, executives, and even war heroes, the narrative is the same: If you’re Black and successful, it must be because of “diversity” and not because of your talent, dedication, or sacrifice.
For many Black Americans, “DEI” is starting to sound a lot like another word—one that racists have used for centuries to try to put us in our place.
So when the Army, an institution that has historically marginalized Black service members, removes a Black Medal of Honor recipient’s page and replaces “medal” with “deimedal,” it’s not a stretch to believe that it was done on purpose. After all, who benefits from making sure that Black military heroes are forgotten?
This Was No Accident. And We Will Not Be Erased. Some will say this is just an unfortunate website error. But errors don’t happen in a political and social context where Black history is under attack.
We’ve seen schools and states ban Black history books. We’ve watched conservatives try to strip DEI programs from universities and corporations. And now, we’re witnessing the digital erasure of a Black war hero who risked his life for a country that still refuses to give him his due.
This isn’t just about Charles C. Rogers, an American hero. This is about the broader attempt to rewrite history and push Black excellence to the margins. They want us to believe we don’t belong. That we didn’t earn our places. That our heroes don’t deserve to be remembered.
But we see what they’re doing. We will not be erased. Now every Black child in America will know the bravery and excellence of Major General Charles C. Rogers.