“[T]he purge could delete as many as 100,000 images or posts in total”
Tom Brokaw deemed that they were “The Greatest Generation,” and he was right. However, in a purge authorized by the Secretary of Defense, a photo of plane that had a major role in ending World War II was also removed because it contained the word “gay.”
Seriously.
High school students and perhaps those in American middle schools have heard of the exploits of those on the Enola Gay. It dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, starting the end of the World War II in the Pacific.
However, as part of the bigoted approach known as ending DEI, the Trump administration removed the photos of the Enola Gay from the Defense Department images.
This seems like a paragraph from George Orwell’s “1984” but it is not.
The story
How did this happen? The Associated Press did some research and this is what they found,
References to a World War II Medal of Honor recipient, the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan and the first women to pass Marine infantry training are among the tens of thousands of photos and online posts marked for deletion as the Defense Department works to purge diversity, equity and inclusion content, according to a database obtained by The Associated Press.
The database, which was confirmed by U.S. officials and published by AP, includes more than 26,000 images that have been flagged for removal across every military branch. But the eventual total could be much higher.
Tara Copp, Lolita C. Baldor, and Kevin Vineys, “War heroes and military firsts are among 26,000 images flagged for removal in Pentagon’s DEI purge,”
Associated Press, March 7, 2025
What was the Enola Gay?
In order to understand the role of this plane in American history, here is some of the vital information,
On August 6, 1945, the crew of a modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress named Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb used in warfare, called “Little Boy,” on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Another atomic attack on Nagasaki followed three days later.
The delivery system for these bombs, the Superfortress, represented the latest advances in American aeronautical engineering and bomber design, and its use in the skies over Japan reflected the evolution of strategic bombing doctrine. As a new and deadly weapon, an atomic bomber, Enola Gay facilitated a turning point in human history as it ushered in the dawn of the Atomic Age and the threat of nuclear war.
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was the most advanced propeller-driven airplane in the world in 1945, making it the ultimate definition of a “modern” airplane. Designed to fly farther, faster, and higher than any other bomber, the combination of the B-29’s aerodynamic, structural, and propulsion innovations allowed it to carry 5,000 pounds of bombs to a target 1,500 miles away while cruising at 220 miles per hour at altitudes up to 30,000 feet.
It also had advanced tricycle landing gear and was the first bomber to have an analog computer-controlled defensive armament system and a pressurized and heated fuselage that meant the 11-person crew did not have to wear oxygen masks and heavy, bulky clothing during long missions.
AP. March 7, 2025
The second bombing, of Nagasaki a few days later, actually led to the surrender of Japan. So, this plane was a key to ending that conflict.
In order to destroy the Greatest Generation, this photo was removed.
How?
One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that have not been made public, said the purge could delete as many as 100,000 images or posts in total, when considering social media pages and other websites that are also being culled for DEI content. The official said it’s not clear if the database has been finalized.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given the military until Wednesday to remove content that highlights diversity efforts in its ranks following President Donald Trump’s executive order ending those programs across the federal government.
The vast majority of the Pentagon purge targets women and minorities, including notable milestones made in the military. And it also removes a large number of posts that mention various commemorative months — such as those for Black and Hispanic people and women …
In some cases, photos seemed to be flagged for removal simply because their file included the word ”gay,” including service members with that last name and an image of the B-29 aircraft Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II.
AP, March 7, 2025
These people have been intent on rewriting history. They have tried to change the name of
The Civil War to the war between the states, and some right wing historians have agreed with that.
But to remove photos of a key victory in WWII from a data base because they contain the word gay?
That is just plain sick.
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