Over the weekend, I watched the video Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s posted on social media X in which he declared that the Medals of Honor granted to members of the 7th Calvary involved in the so-called Battle of Wounded Knee will not be rescinded. Hegseth said the soldiers involved in the incident deserved them.
The medals were awarded in 1890, shortly after the “battle” took place. At the time, the U.S. government was on a campaign of genocide against Indigenous people in the West. The “battle” took place after the U.S. chose to violate a treaty that gave Indigenous people ownership of vast territories.
Hegseth was prompted to issue his “final” decision because his predecessor, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, had declined to accept a report that recommended the medals not be rescinded.
Why was the 21st century Department of Defense looking at rescinding medals? Oliver “O.J.” Semans Sr., an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and a former U.S. Navy firefighter who witnessed the aftermath of “the Battle,” wrote President Trump in 2019 to urge him to rescind the medals. Semans wrote:
“The ‘Battle at Wounded Knee’ on December 29, 1890, was no battle. It was a massacre. … The 7th Cavalry, which was obligated by treaty to protect my ancestors, instead hunted my ancestors, surrounded them, and gunned hundreds of them down. This included terrified women and children who fled—defenseless—through the snow, forever stained by their blood.”
President Trump declined to rescind the medals. Notably, Seman’s letter followed a statement by Trump ridiculing Senator Elizabeth Warren as she announced a run for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination. Trump said Warren should have filmed her announcement to establish a presidential exploratory committee while standing in front of a backdrop of Bighorn or Wounded Knee with her husband dressed in full Indian garb, instead of making the announcement in her own kitchen.
How does Hegseth effectively condoning a massacre align with the warrior culture he lectured military Generals and Admirals about yesterday? Not very well. If the soldiers involved in the “battle” at Wounded Knee deserved medals, so too does Lt. William Calley, the perpetrator of the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War.
Over the weekend, I also read about worries within the Pentagon centering on Secretary Hegseth’s behavior. He is reportedly prone to tantrums and frequently yells at subordinates. Many staff have quit their jobs. Others question Hegseth’s mental health or speculate that he may have returned to excessive drinking. (Evidence of Hegseth drinking since his confirmation has not surfaced.)
Should a “Department of War” be led by a hot-headed Secretary answerable only to a 79-year-old President who himself shows signs of mental decline and who has involved the military in actions against American citizens and others? I don’t think so.
When lecturing Generals and Admirals yesterday, Hegseth may have had the least military command experience of anyone else in the room except for President Trump (bone spurs) and the enlisted personal working to staff the gathering. He also had no relevant executive experience before his nomination to head what used to be called DoD before Trump nominated him to the post in 2021. Hegseth, as you may recall, was a Fox News weekend anchor. President Trump liked what he said on the air and no doubt thought he looked the part.
All of us should support a strong and ready military, but Hegseth’s advocacy for a “warrior culture” that would remove woman from combat, limit leadership roles for people of color (many of whom might prove to be outstanding military leaders if given the chance to lead) and taking other actions that would ban gay and trans people, as well as people who are not Christians from serving. That is not an effective strategy to build a strong military.
I’m not holding my breath, but I want to hear Donald Trump say “You’re Fired” again. The words should be directed at Mr. Hegseth.
J.E. Dean writes on politics, government and other subjects. A former counsel on Capitol Hill and public affairs consultant, Dean also writes for Dean’s Issues & Insights on Substack.
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