Via Box Turtle Bulletin…  Now what the hell was this supposed to accomplish…?

We commented earlier on how the mainstream media omitted all mention of Major Alan Rogers’ orientation or of his efforts to overturn the military’s ban on open gay servicemen. We told you how the Washington Post ombudsman wrote a column to repair that deliberate exclusion. Now there’s a new twist.

According to the Washington Blade, Rogers’ profile on Wikipedia has been modified

The user on Monday redacted details about Rogers that appeared on the online encyclopedia site. Information that was deleted included Rogers’ sexual orientation; the soldier’s participation in American Veterans for Equal Rights, a group that works to change military policy toward gays; and the fact that Rogers’ death helped bring the U.S. military’s casualty toll in Iraq to 4,000.

And while the individual responsible isn’t known,

The IP address attached to the deletion of the details and the posted comments is 141.116.168.135. The address belongs to a computer from the office of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2) at the Pentagon. The office is headed by Lt. Gen. John Kimmons, who was present at Rogers’ funeral and presented the flag from Rogers’ coffin to his cousin, *Cathy Long.

The factual information has been reinstated in the Wikipedia entry.

* Long is the cousin that was unaware of Rogers’ orientation and thought it should be left out of the Post article.

Alan Rogers’ was a soldier and a gay man.  He was dedicated to equal rights for gay soldiers.  He kept his sexual orientation at least partly in the closet, so he could continue to serve.  That is the devil’s bargan Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell demands of gay soldiers.  He could have easily avoided the FUBAR that George Bush made of Iraq by coming out of the closet and getting his discharge.  He didn’t.  Whatever you think of Bush’s splendid little war, Alan Rogers’ was obviously proud of his service to the United States.  While in uniform, bearing arms for the sake of his country, he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.  The least his country could do, is be proud of him too.

And I think his country Is proud.  Even the piss ignorant jackasses who still believe in Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.  Some of them anyway.  Probably not James Dobson or Sally Kern.  But I think even louts like Charles Krauthammer would salute this man’s memory, just as he was.  Maybe.  However, as you can see, it is still far too much to ask of the stars and bars in their comfortable air conditioned pentagon offices, that they be proud of All their fallen heroes.