Defense Dept. removes story on Jackie Robinson military service - ESPN

The Department of Defense deleted a story on its website that highlighted Jackie Robinson's military service, with the original URL redirecting to one that added the letters «dei» in front of «sports-heroes.»

The scrubbing of the page followed a Feb. 27 memo from the Pentagon that called for a «digital content refresh» that would «remove and archive DoD news articles, photos, and videos promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).»

«We are pleased by the rapid compliance across the Department with the directive removing DEI content from all platforms,» Pentagon press secretary John Ullyot said in a statement. «In the rare cases that content is removed — either deliberately or by mistake — that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct the components and they correct the content accordingly.»

An MLB spokesperson said the league was aware of the situation and looking into it.

Robinson, who served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II, broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947 when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers. One of the most integral figures in American sports history, Robinson won the National League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards during a 10-year career that led to a first-ballot induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The deleted story was part of the Department of Defense's «Sports Heroes Who Served» series. Other stories, including one on Robinson's teammate Pee-Wee Reese that references his acceptance of Robinson amid racial tensions in his first season, remain on the site.

Robinson was drafted into military service in 1942 and eventually joined the 761st Tank Battalion, also known as the Black Panthers. He was court-martialed in July