The removal last year of a memorial honoring Black American World War II soldiers in Europe sparked concern on both sides of the Atlantic. Now, internal government memos provide new insights concerning when and why the decision was made to take away the information about Black contributions to the war, confirming the impact of the Trump administration’s policies against diversity, equity and inclusion.
Emails suggest Trump’s anti-DEI order led to the removal of the memorial for Black soldiers
Newsweek reported in November about the removal of two commemorative plaques honoring Black soldiers at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, a village near the city of Maastricht. At the time, the reason for the removal was unclear, with local officials not receiving prior notification that the plaques would be taken down. The timing and circumstances of the removal, however, suggested that the decision was taken in response to President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policies. Now, emails obtained by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and reviewed by Newsweek confirm that Trump’s order was the impetus for the removal.
In the emails, officials with the American Battle Monuments Commission, which administers the Margraten site and other American cemeteries abroad, discuss the impact of an executive order Trump issued in March targeting diversity, equity and inclusion policies. In the emails, officials within ABMC agree to “do a scrub to be sure we have nothing that might run our agency awry of this EO” and specifically look to see if “there might be any panel displays that would get us in trouble at any visitor center,” followed by a reference to the Margraten cemetery. These newly revealed conversations lend credence to the previous assumption that Trump’s policies were the cause of the removal.
Trump’s anti-DEI stance leads to historical whitewashing
As Blavity reported, Dutch media and an independent historian on social media had brought attention to the removal of plaques at the cemetery that highlighted the contributions of Black U.S. soldiers in World War II. One of the two plaques discussed the segregated conditions under which Black soldiers served. The other highlighted the heroics of George H. Pruitt, who died attempting to save a fellow soldier. The plaques, added in 2024, were removed at some point in the summer of 2025, after Trump issued his anti-DEI executive order and the conservative Heritage Foundation filed a complaint about the American Battle Monuments Commission violating the order.
Since taking office last January, Trump has pursued a campaign against DEI initiatives and other programs that conservatives deem “woke.” This anti-DEI push, promoted by several executive orders and federal policy changes, has resulted in DEI programs being shut down within the federal government, as well as creating pressure for private corporations to end their DEI initiatives. It has also led to significant whitewashing of American history at military institutions, museums and national parks.
Now, new evidence indicates that this anti-DEI purge has reached overseas as well. In the process, a European memorial to the Black soldiers who fought and in some cases died during World War II was quietly removed, seemingly out of fear of violating Trump’s policies.