The National Cryptologic Museum in Fort Meade, Maryland, covered plaques honoring women and people of color who served the National Security Agency (NSA). This action was taken in response to the Trump administration’s anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) order, which sparked outrage among former NSA employees and other stakeholders.
The covered plaques, titled “Trailblazers in U.S. Cryptologic History,” are in the museum’s Hall of Honor. Larry Pfeiffer, a former NSA employee, was shocked to see an image of them online. “My jaw dropped, my eyes bulged,” he said. I couldn’t believe someone would cover up plaques that honored trailblazers at the agency.”
Retired Gen. Michael Hayden, a former NSA director, and many other former NSA workers expressed anger over the decision. On Sunday, the museum uncovered the plaques and admitted that covering them was a mistake.
Long-term NSA employee Rob Johnson voiced his dismay directly to the museum’s public relations staff. “As much as this administration eschews truth and honesty, it is important that we not allow it to erase history,” Johnson said.
Plaques controversy at cryptologic museum
Helen Adams, whose late husband, Ralph, was a Black executive director at the NSA, also took the decision personally, even though his face wasn’t among those obscured. In a phone interview, NSA Executive Director George Thomas described the action as a mistake. “There was absolutely never an intention to cover up parts of our history,” said Thomas, who has worked at the NSA for over four decades.
“As soon as we became aware of it, we said, ‘Oh, that was not what was intended.'”
Despite the museum uncovering the exhibits, former employees remain unsettled by the incident. Pfeiffer suspects that someone instructed museum staff to cover up the plaques, fearing repercussions if they didn’t comply with the executive order. The current climate in Washington, D.C., has been tense as the Trump administration targets federal agencies, contributing to an environment of fear.
Pfeiffer noted, “We have appointees to this administration who have said that they intend to traumatize the federal employee workforce. We have seen people put on administrative leave with the threat of being fired.”
According to Pfeiffer, this episode holds lessons for those aiming to protect the U.S. civil service from partisanship. There may be small bites at the apple here that we can all take to push back against this attack on the federal workforce,” he said.
“You don’t have to try to take it all on. Maybe you focus on what you’re an expert in.
As the situation unfolds, Thomas urged the public to show some grace as the NSA works through rapid requests from the new administration and encouraged people to visit the museum to understand its historical significance better.
