Latest news with #IraHayes
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Pentagon dishonored my uncle's sacrifice by scrubbing U.S. history
'Air Force Deletes Pages on First Female Thunderbirds Pilot Amid DEI Purge,' ( April 16) My uncle, Private First Class Dean Hunt, was killed in action in World War II on Iwo Jima. He joined the Marines at 18 and died eight months later. The Pentagon has dishonored my uncle's sacrifice by scrubbing from their website two pages profiling another Marine who fought on Iwo Jima, Ira Hayes, one of the six Marines shown raising the American flag in an iconic photograph. The profiles of Hayes, a Pima Indian, were removed to comply with President Donald Trump's order abolishing diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said, 'anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength is frankly incorrect.' Following an outcry, one webpage was restored, but many references to Hayes' ethnicity were removed. My uncle fought for freedom and equality, values that the current administration is systematically undermining. I hope that the arc of the moral universe will once again bend toward justice. P. Alan Thiesen Roseville 'Sacramento mayor, council salary increases amid budget talk,' ( May 14) Sacramento has projected a $44 million deficit for the coming fiscal year and is contemplating cuts in services and raising fees, some of which have already occurred. Yet, in an effort to be 'reasonable and consistent' with comparable cities, the city's Compensation Commission unanimously voted to award raises to the mayor of 12% and 8% to the city council. What is a 'reasonable' pay raise to leaders of a city drowning in debt? Many on the current council made — or agreed with — decisions which caused the current deficit, which is projected to be worse next year. Now, as they contemplate layoffs and diminishing services to the community they serve, is it reasonable to award them such generous wage hikes? Was nothing learned from the city manager pay debacle? What 'rules' should be applied as the city goes bankrupt? Bill Motmans Sacramento 'Public health in California shaken by federal funding cuts,' ( April 9) As a clinician scientist dedicated to understanding the roots of dementia, I've long believed that science, integrity and compassion must guide our work. Recently, these values were put to the test. After years of progress under grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, research focused on identifying vascular contributions to cognitive decline — our work was disrupted and nearly completely derailed by cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services. It was a painful reminder of how easily vital work can be threatened by bureaucracy. But we persisted, not just for ourselves, but for the millions of families impacted by dementia. Research must be protected, because behind every data point is a human story, and behind every story is hope. Charles DeCarli, M.D. Co-director, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center of UC Davis 'In rural California, gray wolves are a growing threat demanding attention | Opinion,' ( May 17) I grew up around wolves. I've seen dozens of wolves over the past decade when I have visited Yellowstone. As a child, growing up in the Greater Yellowstone in Montana, my safety was never in danger or threatened by a wolf. As a wildlife major, it's been exciting to see wolves come back to California. But recent headlines about emergency declarations have been alarming. We must listen, understand and work together to keep ourselves and our wolf population safe. John Marchwick Eureka 'Prison closure, Ozempic limit, cap-and-what? 5 takeaways from Gavin Newsom's budget,' ( May 16) It would be a mistake for Gov. Gavin Newsom to restrict Medi-Cal coverage of weight loss drugs, like Zepbound and Wegovy. Medi-Cal will continue GLP-1 coverage for diabetics, meaning California won't offer overweight Medi-Cal patients access to GLP-1 drugs to help them avoid becoming diabetic, but it will pay for these treatments once they put on so much weight that they develop the disease. This is illogical. GLP-1 drugs will save Medi-Cal money. Hank Naughton Clinton, Mass. 'Rooftop solar subsidies raise electricity costs in California,' ( May 16) California has long established rooftop solar as a cornerstone of its energy and climate goals. Rooftop solar is a key tool in providing affordable housing for all, allowing middle class families to maintain control over their energy bills. Assembly Bill 942, however, threatens to inject chaos into the housing market. Under the bill, new homeowners purchasing properties with existing solar installations would have their contracts retroactively changed to the less favorable Net Energy Metering 3.0. This would diminish the value of homes with solar panels to buyers and create unnecessary friction in the home sale. For homebuilders, this is particularly problematic: AB 942 will create new housing market risks, exacerbating housing costs. While AB 942 claims to address energy 'affordability,' it will have the opposite effect. California should be doing everything we can to help homebuyers enter into affordable and energy-resilient homes. AB 942 undermines that goal. Chris Ochoa Senior counsel, California Building Industry Association
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stanton and Ansari demand return of Arizona Native heroes to Pentagon website
Ira Hayes, alongside five other Marines, raised the U.S. flag on the island of Iwo Jima at the summit of Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945. Photo by Joe Rosenthal | Associated Press/public domain Content about two prominent Arizona Native American veterans that was removed from the U.S. Department of Defense's website during a purge of information that didn't focus on the accomplishments of white men remains missing. The purge came in response to President Donald Trump's executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal government. Stories and details about U.S. Marine Ira Hayes, who is Pima/Akimel O'odham from the Gila River Indian Community, alongside U.S. Army Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa, who is Hopi, remains absent from the Defense Department's website. As of Tuesday, a keyword search for Ira Hayes still brings up zero results, and only one article appears for Lori Ann Piestewa. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX U.S. Reps. Greg Stanton and Yassamin Ansari sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, urging the reinstatement of content featuring Hayes and Piestewa. 'Efforts by the DOD to recognize any veteran's selfless service to our nation have nothing to do with any type of DEI Initiative,' the Phoenix Democrats wrote. Stanton and Ansari wrote in the letter that, due to the sovereign status of tribal nations and their members, Indigenous people are correctly viewed as political entities, not racial groups. They cited U.S. Supreme Court precedent and long-standing legal doctrine. 'Other mistakenly removed references to Native American veterans and service members have been restored, but information on these two pivotal figures is still missing,' they wrote. The DOD also deleted websites about the Navajo Code Talkers who were instrumental to America's victory in the Pacific Theater in World War II. Hayes, alongside five other Marines, raised the U.S. flag on the island of Iwo Jima at the summit of Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945. He was part of the 5th Marine Division and fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima until the island was secured on March 26, 1945. The photograph of the flag raising during the Battle of Iwo Jima is one of the most iconic images of World War II, taken months into the battle by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. 'The history of Ira Hayes and his bravery during this pivotal battle and at the flag raising is a point of pride and inspiration for the Gila River Indian Community—as it should be for all citizens of the United States,' Stanton and Ansari wrote. Piestewa served with the 507th Maintenance Company during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In March 2003, at 23 years old, she became the first service woman killed in action in Iraq and the first Native American woman to die in foreign combat in the service of the United States. Stanton and Ansari note in their letter how former Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano renamed a mountain in the Phoenix area and State Route 51 in Piestewa's honor a month after she died in combat. They also highlighted how, as the mayor of Phoenix, Stanton advocated for renaming several streets in the city to honor her sacrifice. 'We must never forget the sacrifices made by Native American veterans and service members throughout our nation's history,' they stated. Indigenous people across the United States serve in the armed forces at five times the national average, according to the National Indian Council on Aging, and have served with distinction in every major conflict for over 200 years. 'It is with this history in mind, with our great pride in these incredible Arizonans, that we request the immediate and full reinstatement of all information pertaining to Pfc. Ira Hayes and Army Specialist Lori Piestewa to the DOD website,' the letter states. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Politico
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Pentagon admits to mistakes in campaign against ‘DEI' content
The Pentagon is conceding it made mistakes as it rushed to remove articles and images celebrating diversity from its social media and websites, a campaign that resulted in moves such as removing tributes to Jackie Robinson and the flag-raising at Iwo Jima. 'Some content was archived that should not have been,' the Department of Defense said in a statement Friday. The Pentagon said it would be reviewing the material that was purged as part of a campaign to remove content celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion — an effort that has sparked widespread criticism and ridicule. As part of the effort, the department removed articles and images of baseball legend Jackie Robinson , the Navajo Code Talkers and the Tuskegee Airmen. It also pulled pulled the historic photos of six Marines hoisting a U.S. flag on Iwo Jima in 1945 because it was on a page celebrating Army Pfc. Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian. A biography of World War II veteran and civil rights leader Medgar Evers, who was assassinated in 1963 and whom President Donald Trump called a 'great American hero' in 2017, was erased from the Arlington National Cemetery website. The purge followed Trump's executive order ending diversity programs across the federal government, including the Defense Department, which he has criticized as too 'woke.' Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a video statement Thursday that 'some important content was incorrectly' removed. He blamed 'AI tools' for the errors and said purged material would be reviewed. 'When content is either mistakenly removed or if it's maliciously removed, we continue to work quickly to restore it,' Parnell said. The Pentagon says it aims to honor service members based on merit rather than 'immutable characteristics' like race, ethnicity, or gender. Some of the deleted tributes — such as those for Robinson and the Navajo Code Talkers — were reinstated after public backlash. But many tributes to non-white service members remain unavailable, often leading to 404 error messages.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pentagon admits to mistakes in campaign against 'DEI' content
The Pentagon is conceding it made mistakes as it rushed to remove articles and images celebrating diversity from its social media and websites, a campaign that resulted in moves such as deleting tributes to Jackie Robinson and the flag-raising at Iwo Jima. "Some content was archived that should not have been," the Department of Defense said in a statement Friday. The Pentagon said it would be reviewing the material that was purged as part of a campaign to remove content celebrating diversity, equity and inclusion — an effort that has sparked widespread criticism and ridicule. As part of the effort, the department removed articles and images of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, the Navajo Code Talkers and the Tuskegee Airmen. It also pulled pulled the historic photos of six Marines hoisting a U.S. flag on Iwo Jima in 1945 because it was on a page celebrating Army Pfc. Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian. A biography of World War II veteran and civil rights leader Medgar Evers, who was assassinated in 1963 and whom President Donald Trump called a 'great American hero" in 2017, was erased from the Arlington National Cemetery website. The purge followed Trump's executive order ending diversity programs across the federal government, including the Defense Department, which he has criticized as too 'woke.' Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a video statement Thursday that 'some important content was incorrectly" removed. He blamed 'AI tools' for the errors and said purged material would be reviewed. 'When content is either mistakenly removed or if it's maliciously removed, we continue to work quickly to restore it,' Parnell said. The Pentagon says it aims to honor service members based on merit rather than 'immutable characteristics' like race, ethnicity, or gender. Some of the deleted tributes — such as those for Robinson and the Navajo Code Talkers — were reinstated after public backlash. But many tributes to non-white service members remain unavailable, often leading to 404 error messages.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘My dad didn't go to war for nothing': Pentagon scrubs Native American heroes from website
Navajo Code Talkers and their family members met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace at the Pentagon, Aug. 10, 2007. Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen | Public domain Prominent Native American figures in U.S. military history have been erased from the U.S. Department of Defense's website as part of the sweeping effort stemming from President Donald Trump's executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion. The Department of Defense website removed articles featuring details about the Navajo Code Talkers — Navajo men who served during World War II and used their language as a secret code in battle — along with U.S. Marine Ira Hayes from the Gila River Indian Community, who helped raise the flag during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. 'Navajo code has absolutely nothing to do with DEI because Navajo code was a weapon,' Navajo Code Talker Peter MacDonald said in response to the removal during an interview with the Arizona Mirror. MacDonald, 96, is one of two living Navajo Code Talkers. He served in the South Pacific as a Code Talker and in North China with the 6th Marine Division. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX MacDonald said that dismissing the Navajo Code Talkers as DEI is a 'terrible misinterpretation by the United States.' The complex Navajo language was used as a weapon in World War II against the enemy because the Japanese were breaking every military code that U.S. troops were using in the Pacific theater. It took the Navajo people to develop a whole new code in the Navajo language, he added, and 'it became the only military code in modern history never broken by an enemy.' In a general keyword search on Tuesday of the Department of Defense's website for the Navajo Code Talkers, only eight results appeared, but none related to information or articles detailing their role in World War II. Zero results appeared in a search for Ira Hayes. 'The Navajo Code Talkers earned their place in history through their courage and sacrifice, giving their lives in defense of this nation,' Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley said in a press release. 'Erasing their extraordinary contributions from formal military history is not only disrespectful, it is dishonorable.' Having articles and information about the Navajo Code Talkers on the department's website is the right thing, MacDonald said, because it provides education for everyone that weapons do not just include guns but language. He added that their weapon helped preserve America's freedom, and 'we were happy to use that weapon to help.' 'It's important for the entire nation to know that the Navajo Code has absolutely nothing to do with DEI,' he said. He hopes the Pentagon will return all the content so they can learn. In an email response to the Arizona Mirror, a Department of Defense spokesperson who wouldn't provide their name said the DOD is in the process of restoring the content about the Navajo Code Talkers, which had been removed during the auto-removal process. No time frame was provided for restoring the content, and the spokesperson did not respond to questions about the deleted content related to Ira Hayes. Ronald Kinsel, the son of the late Navajo Code Talker John Kensel, Sr., said he was shocked to learn that all articles featuring the Navajo Code Talkers had been removed. 'My dad didn't go to war for nothing,' he said, adding that the United States wouldn't be the country it is now if it wasn't for the Navajo Code Talkers. The Navajo Code Talkers participated in all assaults led by the U.S. Marines in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945, including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu and Iwo Jima. The total number of Navajo Code Talkers who served in the U.S. Marines is unknown, but it is estimated to be between 350 and 420. MacDonald's daughter, Charity, said she wasn't shocked by the removal. It is merely a new form of erasure of Indigenous people, something the United States has done throughout its history. 'You can not erase an entire history of people,' she said, especially today when information can be accessed in various ways. 'Our federal government is doing this purposely,' Charity said, adding that it's an action they're taking to show people that they can. 'The federal government is making a statement, saying that this is how they feel,' she added. Charity said Indigenous people have given a lot to the federal government, and during World War II, the military came to the Navajo people and asked them for help. 'They used the Navajo language to help them win the war,' she said. Leaders from the Navajo Nation and the Gila River Indian Community sent letters to the Department of Defense to ask why the details about the Navajo Code Talkers and Hayes were deleted. Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said removing information about Hayes and the Navajo Code Talkers due to the scrubbing for DEI initiatives is 'misguided' and 'irresponsible.' Lewis said his tribe sent a official letter to the Department of Defense on Tuesday but have not received a response. 'Sadly, we're no strangers to being erased,' Lewis said, noting it has happened to Indigenous peoples throughout history. 'All the stories of Ira Hayes and all Native veterans, including the code talkers, have to be rectified ASAP,' he said. Lewis said Hayes is a significant figure in military history, and members of the Gila River Indian Community learn about him from a very young age. Hayes, alongside five other Marines, raised the U.S. flag on the island of Iwo Jima at the summit of Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945. He was part of the 5th Marine Division and fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima until the island was secured on March 26, 1945. The photograph of the flag raising during the Battle of Iwo Jima is one of the most iconic images of World War II, taken months into the battle by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal. Lewis said Hayes' story and the image of the Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima is historic for Native military service. 'Native Americans have always served in our country's military, in all branches, at the highest levels of any other group,' Lewis said. Indigenous people across the United States serve in the armed forces at five times the national average, according to the National Indian Council on Aging, and have served with distinction in every major conflict for over 200 years. Lewis said that recognizing the patriotism and courage of Native American soldiers has nothing to do with any type of DEI initiative. 'It's simply an offering of respect for extraordinary service and bravery in the line of duty,' he added. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday asking him to explain the removal of the Navajo Code Talkers' information from military websites. 'Appropriately recognizing the work of the Navajo Code Talkers is profoundly significant to the Navajo Nation,' Nygren said in his letter, requesting the rationale behind the removal. In the letter, Nygren wrote about how Trump welcomed the Navajo Code Talkers to the White House in 2017, during his first term in office, and praised their contributions to the country. 'We sincerely appreciate this recognition and believe it highlights the importance of preserving the history and legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers,' he wrote. 'Given the profound impact and historic importance of these American heroes, it is imperative that their legacy remains visible and accessible to all Americans,' the letter stated. The Navajo Nation Council voiced its disappointment in the removal of the Code Talkers, emphasizing that the Navajo Nation is not a racial group but a distinct political entity. 'The Navajo Nation Council is deeply concerned by being conflated into DEI initiatives that fail to recognize our unique political status,' Curley said in a press release. The Navajo Nation Council is engaging with the administration to clarify the reasoning behind removing articles. 'The United States would not be the nation it is today without the bravery and service of the Navajo Nation Code Talkers,' Curley said. 'Their legacy is a cornerstone of American history, and it is essential that their contributions be honored and recognized.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
