The rocket industry refers to it as a fuel because, by and large, the rocket industry is government-funded. I used to be in it.
Fuel, by definition, is a substance that is burned by combustion to release heat, which is exactly what happens when hydrogen and oxygen combine to form H2O.
To say that just because the rocket industry is government-funded, and therefore classifies hydrogen incorrectly, is a incredulous stretch, and unworthy of an engineer of your caliber.