How Trump is Threatening to Erase the Legacies of World War II’s Black Soldiers

George H. Pruitt was only 23 when he sacrificed his life to save a comrade. The Technician Fourth Class soldier and others were stationed in Germany in 1945 when Pruitt spotted a fellow soldier fall into deep, cold water, according to reports. Selflessly, the soldier dove in– with his uniform still on– to try to rescue him, but he never returned to shore.

After Pruitt’s death, he became one of over 150 Black American soldiers buried at the American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten, Netherlands. But now, their legacies and contributions to the war effort are being erased all because of President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) agenda.

On day one of Trump’s second term, he signed an order ending DEI at the federal level, we previously told you. What no one could have imagined, however, is that his federal decree would also take affect overseas.

The American Battle Monuments Commission, which is the U.S. government agency responsible for maintaining international memorial sites, quietly removed two displays recognizing Black troops who fought to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany. That was back in the Spring, according to NBC News. The move was immediately met with international backlash, especially from critics of Trump’s continuous erasure of Black history in America.

Pruitt’s story was one of the removed displays at the American Cemetery in Margraten, where roughly 8,300 U.S. soldiers were laid to rest. Given that 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Pruitt’s sacrifice and the official end of WWII, visitors have been outspoken about their objections to the removal.

CBS News reported guests are now filling up the memorial guestbook with protests. “I protest against the removal of panels with Black soldiers,” one message read.

But while the Trump administration continues to face criticism, it seems he’s paying the backlash no mind. In fact, the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Joe Popolo defended the removal. “The signs at Margraten are not intended to promote an agenda that criticizes America,” he wrote on social media. He echoed the president’s March sentiment which declared, “Our country will be woke no longer.”

African American soldiers and African soldiers in Europe were key to ending the Nazi’s reign in Europe. Over 1 million Black Americans served in World War II to defend the U.S. even though they were subjected to Jim Crow laws and harsh racism once they returned, according to the National WWII Museum. This sparked the Double V campaign of the ’40s, which demanded a “Victory Abroad” against fascism and a “Victory at Home” against racial segregation.

The movement highlighted the hypocrisy of fighting for freedom overseas while facing racism in the U.S. More than 80 years after so many Black soldiers’ sacrifice, it seems they’re still fighting for equality from the grave.

Still, these troops are being honored internationally. France honored the contributions of Black and African Allied soldiers in Operation Dragoon– also known as the “forgotten D-Day” in 1944, according to AP News. May 2025 also marked V-E Day in Europe, celebrating Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender.