The U.S. Army has posted an article about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team on its website after its removal of webpages about the Japanese American soldiers of World War II sparked protests from veterans’ groups and an online petition.
The removal was part of the Trump Administration’s efforts to remove all programs related to DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) from federal agencies. Thousands of pages on the Army website honoring contributions by women and people of color have also been removed.
On March 14, Go For Broke National Education Center (Los Angeles) and Nisei Veterans Memorial Center (Maui) said that they “strongly oppose the erasure of the legacy of the Japanese American Soldiers of WWII from the U.S. Army’s official website. In March 2025, the webpages honoring the courage and sacrifice of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team were removed.
“The U.S. Army website previously recognized how the 100th/442nd RCT was the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in U.S. military history. It honored the over 4,000 Purple Hearts, 21 Medals of Honor, and unprecedented eight Presidential Unit Citations that underscore the valor of the Nisei soldiers of WWII. Profiles of those who served with distinction from Sen. Daniel K. Inouye to the AAPI veterans of today were also removed.
“For 80 years, the American people have fought for the proper recognition of those who served in the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Service, the Engineering Corps, as well as the Army Nurse Corps and Women’s Army Corps.
“In the face of the unjust incarceration of their family members, these American-born children of immigrants embodied this country’s values of courage, patriotism, and sacrifice. The sudden removal of their story does not erase their impact on U.S. history, nor negate the work of organizations preserving their legacy.
“Go For Broke National Education Center and Nisei Veterans Memorial Center encourage people to write to their elected officials to demand that Defense Secretary (Pete) Hegseth order the immediate return of the U.S. Army website to its original state.”
In reposting one article about the 442nd, the Army said, “In accordance with a presidential executive order and guidance from the secretary of defense, the Army recently took down the Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Heritage webpage that featured content about the 442nd Infantry Regiment and Nisei soldiers. The Army is tirelessly working through content on that site and article related to the 442nd Infantry Regiment and Nisei soldiers will be republished to better align with current guidance.”
In a separate statement, the Army said, “The 442nd Regimental Combat team holds an honored place in Army history and we are pleased to republish an article that highlights the brave soldiers who served in the ‘Go for Broke’ brigade.”
The page honoring the contributions of AAPI soldiers remains offline.
The Japanese American Citizens League issued the following statement last week: “JACL is deeply alarmed and disappointed by the removal of webpages honoring the history and accomplishments of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and the broader contributions of Asian Pacific Americans to the U.S. Army.
“The 100th and 442nd remain the most decorated military units in U.S. history for their size and length of service. Their heroism, despite the racism and incarceration their families faced at home, is a testament to their loyalty and sacrifice, as is their unit motto, ‘Go For Broke.’
“When the war ended in 1945, President Harry Truman addressed the 100th/442nd on the White House grounds and remarked, ‘You fought not only the enemy, but you fought prejudice — and you have won.’The removal of their history from the Army’s website is not just an administrative decision — it is an attempt to erase the legacy of thousands of soldiers who gave everything for a country that doubted them.
“President Ronald Reagan, during the signing of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, recalled remarks he had given during a memorial for 442nd member Kazuo Masuda in 1945: ‘Blood that has soaked into the sands of a beach is all of one color. America stands unique in the world: the only country not founded on race but on a way, an ideal. Not in spite of but because of our polyglot background, we have had all the strength in the world. That is the American way.”
“These pages are part of the broader story of the Asian American and Pacific Islander participation in our military, which has also been removed. Our community’s sacrifices, from the American Revolutionary War to modern conflicts, are a vital part of America’s military history and deserve to be honored.
“The JACL calls on Defense Secretary Hegseth to order the immediate return of these invaluable resources to their original state on the Army’s website. Failing to do so erases the heroic legacy and heritage ofAsian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the armed forces and dishonors their distinguished service.”
Following the Army’s announcement, Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) said, “Thank you to everyone who responded quickly to the petition! Over 2,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.
“While the U.S. Army has restored some of the original content to its website, this should never have happened in the first place — and we must ensure it never happens again.
“We’re continuing to gather signatures and encourage everyone to sign and share the petition. This fight isn’t over — I will personally deliver it to the secretary of the Army to demand safeguards that protect the legacy of the 442nd and ALL distinguished service groups.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) commented, “Whose bright idea was this? The 442nd is the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. This idiocy compounds the ignorance and wrongs done to Japanese Americans during WWII.”
Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) said, “It is clear that the Army is intentionally removing these websites based solely on race without any consideration of or respect for historical context.”
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) said,” Today, we received news that the website dedicated to sharing the history of the 442nd Regiment — a fighting unit my great uncle was a part of — has been deleted. This administration is more interested in scrubbing the history of servicemembers instead of celebrating and honoring their sacrifice. Shameful.
“My family’s story is not divisive. The story of the 442nd — one of the most decorated fighting units for its size and length of service in our country’s history — is as American as you can get. Scrubbing their story off the Army’s website is shameful, it is wrong, and something I will fight to restore.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the administration’s anti-DEI policies at a briefing on March 17: “I think the president and the secretary have been very clear on this — that anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength is, frankly, incorrect. Our shared purpose and unity are our strength. And I say this as somebody who led a combat platoon in Afghanistan that was probably the most diverse platoon that you could possibly imagine.”