1. United States
2. Okla.
3. Letter

The Department of Defense's removal of webpages celebrating the contributions and sacrifices of minority service members is deeply concerning. These pages honored the heroic actions of Navajo code talkers, who played a crucial role in the victory at Iwo Jima and throughout the Pacific theater during World War II by developing an unbreakable code. The deleted content also recognized icons like Pfc. Ira Hayes, one of the Marines immortalized in the famous flag-raising photograph on Iwo Jima, and shed light on the service of underrepresented groups throughout history. Erasing these stories does a disservice to the diverse individuals who have defended our nation. Their ethnicity and backgrounds were integral to their military achievements and cannot be disentangled from their service. By purging this information, we risk forgetting the invaluable roles played by minorities and the ways their identities strengthened the U.S. Armed Forces. Removing these pages is an insult to the sacrifices made by so many and undermines efforts to build a more inclusive military that represents the diversity of America. I urge you to reconsider this misguided effort and restore the deleted webpages immediately. These stories deserve to be honored and remembered, not censored and forgotten. Our military's strength comes from embracing the contributions of all who serve, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background.