Enola Gay: Huge uproar as WWII bomber suffers Trump's DEI purge for its ‘last’ name
ByShweta Kukreti
Mar 08, 2025 08:11 PM IST
Enola Gay is the B-29 bomber that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945.
The US military has launched an effort to eradicate content that pertains to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including images of “Enola Gay,” the B-29 bomber that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945.
Enola Gay was named after pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr's mother, Enola Gay Tibbets.
Enola Gay was named after pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr's mother, Enola Gay Tibbets.
They are part of a series of unrelated DEI photos that have been incorrectly identified, including images from a California Army Corps of Engineers mining project, supposedly because one of the engineers in the picture had the last name “Gay.”
What to know about ‘Enola Gay’ and Trump's executive order
The aircraft was named after pilot Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr's mother, Enola Gay Tibbets.
In accordance with President Donald Trump's executive order, the US military will delete thousands of images and posts on social media as part of the DEI purge.
Over 26,000 photos from every unit of the military have been flagged due to the Pentagon's order to eliminate DEI-related content, but officials say the total number may surpass 100,000 as evaluations continue.
What Pete Hegseth has to say and who are being targeted
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has supported the action, claiming that DEI programs compromise operational efficacy and military unity.
Women and minorities are the primary targets of the Pentagon purge, which also eliminates many posts that refer to other commemoration months, including those for women and Black and Hispanic people.
Pictures of historically notable military figures, including the first female Marine Corps infantry graduates and the Tuskegee Airmen, have been marked for removal.
Additionally, a picture of Army Corps biologists appeared on the list, presumably because it stated that they were documenting fish information, such as weight, size, hatchery, and gender.
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Netizens react: ‘Is this a joke?’
According to People Magazine, the Enola Gay fighter became the first aircraft to ever launch an atomic bomb.
In a 75th anniversary tribute to the Enola Gay aircraft, the Department of Defense acknowledged five years back that it was a driving force behind “an end to a long and devastating World War II.”
Meanwhile, some internet users responded to the controversy, with one writing, “This has to be satire lol.”
“Is this a joke?” another X user asked.
“I hope this is parody,” a third user commented in disbelief.
“Man conservatives are soft these days,” the fourth user said.
Additionally, the anti-DEI regulations led to the removal of pictures of military personnel with the word “gay” written on their uniform name tags.
“This can’t be real. OMG. This administration is the STUPIDEST in American history,” the fifth user added.
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