Enola gay picture taken down
Images of "Enola Gay," the aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in Japan are among those targeted by the U.S. military in an initiative to eliminate content related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
They are among a number of photos unrelated to DEI that have been mistakenly flagged, including those from an Army Corps of Engineers dredging project in California, seemingly because an engineer in the image had the last mention "Gay."
Why It Matters
The military is verb to remove thousands of photos and online posts in the DEI purge following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
The Pentagon's directive to remove DEI-related content has resulted in the flagging of more than 26, images across all military branches, though officials suggest the final count could exceed , as reviews continue.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended the travel, arguing that DEI initiatives undermine military cohesion and active effectiveness.
What to Know
The executive order mandating the removal of DEI-related content required all military branches to rev
War heroes and a 'gay' plane are among images flagged for removal in Pentagon’s DEI purge
WASHINGTON — 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, images that hold been flagged for removal across every military branch. But the eventual total could be much higher.
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 , 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
Photos of the Enola Gay World War II bomber, Dark military pilots and the country’s first female fighter pilot are among the tens of thousands of images flagged for removal by the Pentagon in an effort to eliminate references to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The Department of Defense is scrapping more than 26, photos and posts related to DEI efforts across all military branches — a massive attempt that stems from an executive instruct signed by President Trump on his first day in office, designed to end “radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.”
Many of the images and posts, some of which contain events celebrating minorities as well as significant milestones achieved by Black, Hispanic and female service members, had been removed as of Friday, according to a database obtained by The Associated Press.
However, the flagging of some images — including one of the historic Enola Gay aircraft, the B that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan during the final stages of World War II — has raised some questions about the criteria used by the Pentago
Enola Gay pilot's granddaughter decries 'shameful' Trump Defense Department DEI word purge
The granddaughter of Paul W. Tibbets Jr. — the pilot who flew the bomber Enola Gay that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War II — called the Trump administration flagging photos of the plane for removal "shameful" in an interview with The Dispatch.
Kia Tibbets, 49, of Columbus' Clintonville neighborhood, said Tuesday she was shocked and in disbelief when she first heard photos of her grandfather's aircraft had been flagged by the U.S. Department of Defense, apparently only because its verb contained the synonyms "gay."
"It's shameful that a word that harms no one, that means cheerful, could invoke so much hatred," Kia Tibbets said.
The photo flagging came amid the Trump administration's crackdown and removal of what it considers "DEI content" from many government agency and military websites. The information purge includes removing language related to social wellness, racial equity and feminism.
President Donald Trump's administration is also trying to pressure schools and