One of the most iconic images of World War II, a photo of the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, is at the center of the latest incident of cancel culture.
Numerous archival pictures of the aircraft have been placed on the Pentagon’s blacklist, subject to censorship due to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump which aims to put an end to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government. The image of the aircraft was deemed inappropriate because of the word gay, even though it has no connection to the LGBTQ+ community. The B-29 was named in honor of Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the aircraft’s pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets.
The news, reported first by the Associated Press, revealed that the removal of historical images is not limited to this particular case but extends to other photographs containing controversial terms.
Approximately 26,000 images have already been censored or marked for removal. If social media posts are also considered, the number could reach up to 100,000. The issue becomes even more complex when considering photographs related to the contributions of minorities and women in the armed forces, which are now at risk of being deleted in the name of the new government policy.
The Enola Gay case is not an isolated one. Images of the Tuskegee Airmen—the pioneering African American pilots who served during World War II—have also been included in the list of images to be removed. These pilots played a crucial role in U.S. military history and marked a significant victory against racial segregation in the armed forces.
The Tuskegee Airmen have already been politicized since Trump took office again, as the Air Force temporarily removed training courses for new recruits which explained the legendary unit’s “airmindedness” in response to the president’s executive order on DEI. The cancellation was quickly reversed after Trump supporters like Republican Senator Katie Britt accused the Air Force of “malicious compliance” with Trump’s executive order, prompting its reinstatement.
The possibility that historical images could be erased solely due to certain words or potentially controversial references has been widely criticized by historians, archivists, and members of the civilian community.
