Department of Defense Takes Down Article on Jackie Robinson’s Time in Army

Jackie Robinson both broke baseball's color barrier and served in the United States Army during World War II, but new federal policies have led to his story getting swept under the rug.

Los Angeles, California, USA; A general overall view of statue of Jackie Robinson (42) at Dodger Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Before he broke baseball's color barrier, Jackie Robinson famously served in the United States military.

As one of the most notable American public figures of the 20th century, Robinson's military history had long been championed by the United States government. An article detailing Robinson's time in the Army was publicly available on the Department of Defense's official website as part of a series recognizing athletes who served.

Now, the link leads to a 404 error page. "Dei" was added to the URL.

The removal of the article falls in line with president Donald Trump's string of executive orders he signed upon taking office in January. Any mandate, policy, program, preference or activity within the federal government having to do with diversity, equity, inclusion or accessibility is slated to be terminated, and praising Robinson's accomplishments apparently falls under that umbrella.

A 2020 article celebrating Robinson's longtime Brooklyn Dodgers teammate, Pee Wee Reese, remains active.

This used to be the URL for a story on the @DeptofDefense website about Jackie Robinson's time in the Army. The story has been removed. The ghouls who did this should be ashamed. Jackie Robinson was the embodiment of an American hero. Fix this now. https://t.co/rEpZFUbJ8h

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 19, 2025

Robinson served with the 761st Tank Battalion from 1942 to 1944. He trained as an officer and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Despite being honorably discharged for refusing to move to the back of a segregated bus, Robinson was acquitted from two counts of insubordination during questioning.

From there, Robinson went on to play in the Negro Leagues in 1945. He joined the Dodgers in 1947, immediately winning NL Rookie of the Year.

Robinson finished his MLB career with six All-Star appearances, an NL MVP award and a World Series ring, ultimately making the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He totaled 1,563 hits, 141 home runs, 286 doubles, 55 triples, 761 RBIs, 756 walks, 200 stolen bases, a .313 batting average, an .887 OPS and a 63.9 WAR.

Following his death in 1972, Robinson was posthumously given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by president Ronald Reagan in 1984. He earned the Congressional Gold Medal from president George W. Bush in 2005.

The removal of Robinson's spotlight from the Department of Defense website comes 14 months after a statue of him was stolen from outside a little league park in Wichita, then chopped up and burned.

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