The Daily Populous Friday March 7th, 2025 evening edition
Authored by apnews.com and submitted by Tracker-man

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WASHINGTON (AP) — References to a World War II Medal of Honor recipient, the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan and the first women to pass Marine infantry training are among the tens of thousands of photos and online posts marked for deletion as the Defense Department works to purge diversity, equity and inclusion content, according to a database obtained by The Associated Press.

The database, which was confirmed by U.S. officials and published by AP, includes more than 26,000 images that have been flagged for removal across every military branch. But the eventual total could be much higher.

In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, the Boeing B-29 named the “Enola Gay” is seen on Tinian in the Marianas Islands. (U.S. Air Force via AP) In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, the Boeing B-29 named the “Enola Gay” is seen on Tinian in the Marianas Islands. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that have not been made public, said the purge could delete as many as 100,000 images or posts in total, when considering social media pages and other websites that are also being culled for DEI content. The official said it’s not clear if the database has been finalized.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given the military until Wednesday to remove content that highlights diversity efforts in its ranks following President Donald Trump’s executive order ending those programs across the federal government.

The vast majority of the Pentagon purge targets women and minorities, including notable milestones made in the military. And it also removes a large number of posts that mention various commemorative months — such as those for Black and Hispanic people and women.

In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, armorers and other ground personnel undergo training at Chanute Field, Ill., during World War II (U.S. Air Force via AP) In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, armorers and other ground personnel undergo training at Chanute Field, Ill., during World War II (U.S. Air Force via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

But a review of the database also underscores the confusion that has swirled among agencies about what to remove following Trump’s order.

Aircraft and fish projects are flagged

In some cases, photos seemed to be flagged for removal simply because their file included the word ”gay,” including service members with that last name and an image of the B-29 aircraft Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II.

In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, Staff Sgt. Krysteena Scales, a 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron Flying Crew Chief, performs pre-flight checks before departing on a mission in a C-17 Globemaster III, March 19, 2009, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. (Senior Airman Andrew Satran/U.S. Air Force via AP) In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, Staff Sgt. Krysteena Scales, a 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron Flying Crew Chief, performs pre-flight checks before departing on a mission in a C-17 Globemaster III, March 19, 2009, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. (Senior Airman Andrew Satran/U.S. Air Force via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Several photos of an Army Corps of Engineers dredging project in California were marked for deletion, apparently because a local engineer in the photo had the last name Gay. And a photo of Army Corps biologists was on the list, seemingly because it mentioned they were recording data about fish — including their weight, size, hatchery and gender.

In addition, some photos of the Tuskegee Airmen, the nation’s first Black military pilots who served in a segregated WWII unit, were listed on the database, but those may likely be protected due to historical content.

The Air Force briefly removed new recruit training courses that included videos of the Tuskegee Airmen soon after Trump’s order. That drew the White House’s ire over “malicious compliance,” and the Air Force quickly reversed the removal.

Many of the images listed in the database already have been removed. Others were still visible Thursday, and it’s not clear if they will be taken down at some point or be allowed to stay, including images with historical significance such as those of the Tuskegee Airmen.

This image provided by the U.S. Marine Corps shows World War II Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold Gonsalves during World War II. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) This image provided by the U.S. Marine Corps shows World War II Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold Gonsalves during World War II. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Asked about the database, Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement, “We are pleased by the rapid compliance across the Department with the directive removing DEI content from all platforms. In the rare cases that content is removed that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct components accordingly.”

He noted that Hegseth has declared that “DEI is dead” and that efforts to put one group ahead of another through DEI programs erodes camaraderie and threatens mission execution.

In some cases, the removal was partial. The main page in a post titled “Women’s History Month: All-female crew supports warfighters” was removed. But at least one of the photos in that collection about an all-female C-17 crew could still be accessed. A shot from the Army Corps of Engineers titled “Engineering pioneer remembered during Black History Month” was deleted.

Other photos flagged in the database but still visible Thursday included images of the World War II Women Air Service Pilots and one of U.S. Air Force Col. Jeannie Leavitt, the country’s first female fighter pilot.

Also still visible was an image of then-Pfc. Christina Fuentes Montenegro becoming one of the first three women to graduate from the Marine Corps’ Infantry Training Battalion and an image of Marine Corps World War II Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold Gonsalves.

It was unclear why some other images were removed, such as a Marine Corps photo titled “Deadlift contenders raise the bar pound by pound” or a National Guard website image called “Minnesota brothers reunite in Kuwait.”

The database of the 26,000 images was created to conform with federal archival laws, so if the services are queried in the future, they can show how they are complying with the law, the U.S. official said. But it may be difficult to ensure the content was archived because the responsibility to ensure each image was preserved was the responsibility of each individual unit.

Military flags online content for removal as DEI

1 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows Col. Paul Tibbetts, Jr. in front of his B-29 Superfortress named the “Enola Gay” in Roswell, New Mexico. The Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 2 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold Gonsalves during World War II. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Read More 3 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon is captioned “Laura Perry’s former self, Leonard, during a deployment in the Air Force before she completed her gender reassignment surgery in 2014.” (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 4 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Jason Woodworth, center, posing with Philip Nguyen, left, and Thu Ha Anders, right, during a multicultural celebration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Aug. 30, 2023. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Read More 5 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows Pfc. Christina Fuentes Montenegro during patrol week of Infantry Training Battalion near Camp Geiger, N.C. , Oct. 31, 2013. Fuentes Montenegro is one of the first females to graduate from Infantry Training Battalion. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Read More 6 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows retired Chief Master Sgt. Walter Richardson speaking to airmen about his experience as a Tuskeegee Airman at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Feb. 19, 2013, as part of Black History Month observances. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 7 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon features four members of a military family and is titled “Hispanic heritage and devotion to military service runs deep for this Puerto Rican family.” (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 8 of 9 | This collage flagged for removal by the Pentagon is titled “116th ACW Celebrates Women’s History Month” and shows women in various roles at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 9 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan receiving transgender training, Jan. 18, 2017. (U.S. Navy via AP) Read More Military flags online content for removal as DEI

1 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows Col. Paul Tibbetts, Jr. in front of his B-29 Superfortress named the “Enola Gay” in Roswell, New Mexico. The Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 1 of 9 This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows Col. Paul Tibbetts, Jr. in front of his B-29 Superfortress named the “Enola Gay” in Roswell, New Mexico. The Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Print Read More 2 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold Gonsalves during World War II. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Read More 2 of 9 This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows Medal of Honor recipient Pfc. Harold Gonsalves during World War II. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Print Read More 3 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon is captioned “Laura Perry’s former self, Leonard, during a deployment in the Air Force before she completed her gender reassignment surgery in 2014.” (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 3 of 9 This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon is captioned “Laura Perry’s former self, Leonard, during a deployment in the Air Force before she completed her gender reassignment surgery in 2014.” (U.S. Air Force via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Print Read More 4 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Jason Woodworth, center, posing with Philip Nguyen, left, and Thu Ha Anders, right, during a multicultural celebration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Aug. 30, 2023. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Read More 4 of 9 This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Jason Woodworth, center, posing with Philip Nguyen, left, and Thu Ha Anders, right, during a multicultural celebration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Aug. 30, 2023. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Print Read More 5 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows Pfc. Christina Fuentes Montenegro during patrol week of Infantry Training Battalion near Camp Geiger, N.C. , Oct. 31, 2013. Fuentes Montenegro is one of the first females to graduate from Infantry Training Battalion. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Read More 5 of 9 This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows Pfc. Christina Fuentes Montenegro during patrol week of Infantry Training Battalion near Camp Geiger, N.C. , Oct. 31, 2013. Fuentes Montenegro is one of the first females to graduate from Infantry Training Battalion. (U.S. Marine Corps via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Print Read More 6 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows retired Chief Master Sgt. Walter Richardson speaking to airmen about his experience as a Tuskeegee Airman at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Feb. 19, 2013, as part of Black History Month observances. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 6 of 9 This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows retired Chief Master Sgt. Walter Richardson speaking to airmen about his experience as a Tuskeegee Airman at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Feb. 19, 2013, as part of Black History Month observances. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Print Read More 7 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon features four members of a military family and is titled “Hispanic heritage and devotion to military service runs deep for this Puerto Rican family.” (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 7 of 9 This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon features four members of a military family and is titled “Hispanic heritage and devotion to military service runs deep for this Puerto Rican family.” (U.S. Air Force via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Print Read More 8 of 9 | This collage flagged for removal by the Pentagon is titled “116th ACW Celebrates Women’s History Month” and shows women in various roles at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Read More 8 of 9 This collage flagged for removal by the Pentagon is titled “116th ACW Celebrates Women’s History Month” and shows women in various roles at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. (U.S. Air Force via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

Print Read More 9 of 9 | This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan receiving transgender training, Jan. 18, 2017. (U.S. Navy via AP) Read More 9 of 9 This image flagged for removal by the Pentagon shows sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan receiving transgender training, Jan. 18, 2017. (U.S. Navy via AP) Share Share Copy Link copied

In many cases, workers are taking screenshots of the pages marked for removal, but it would be difficult to restore them if that decision was made, according to another official, who like the others spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details that were not public.

A Marine Corps official said every one of its images in the database “either has been taken down or will be taken down.” The Marines are moving on the directive as fast as possible, but as with the rest of the military, very few civilian or contractor employees at the Pentagon can perform content removal, the official said.

In the Marine Corps, just one defense civilian is available to do the work. The Marine Corps estimates that person has identified at least 10,000 images and stories for removal online, and after further review, 3,600 of those have been removed. The total does not count more than 1,600 social media sites that have not yet been addressed.

Many of those social media sites were military base or unit support groups created years ago and left idle. No one still has the administrative privileges to go in and change the content.

The Marine official said the service is going through each site and getting new administrative privileges so it can make the changes.

On Feb. 26, the Pentagon ordered all the military services to spend countless hours poring over years of website postings, photos, news articles and videos to remove any mentions that “promote diversity, equity and inclusion.”

If they couldn’t do that by Wednesday, they were told to “temporarily remove from public display” all content published during the Biden administration’s four years in office.

AP reporters Nicholas Riccardi in Denver, Christina Cassidy in Atlanta, Will Weissert and Ayanna Alexander in Washington and Christine Fernando in Chicago contributed to this report.

This story was first published on March 6, 2025. It was published again on March 7, 2025, to clarify that the Marines Corps said in a follow-up interview that the 10,000 items it has identified for removal online include both images and stories and that after further review, only 3,600 were removed.

Predator_ on March 7th, 2025 at 07:30 UTC »

As a photojournalist, I'm sickened and appalled that they're deleting 26,000 historic images. Documentation is meant to be preserved for historical record. The fact that they're only deleting images of non-white and non-male subjects says everything anyone needs to know about the agenda of this administration. This is racism. This is discrimination. This is hate.

Peach__Pixie on March 7th, 2025 at 07:22 UTC »

> The vast majority of the Pentagon purge targets women and minorities, including notable milestones made in the military. And it also removes a large number of posts that mention various commemorative months — such as those for Black and Hispanic people and women.

Yes, how dare people who served their country be the wrong gender or color! /S

Notifiedbot on March 7th, 2025 at 07:09 UTC »

This is the same party that is so pro military, correct?