References to the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan during World War II have been flagged for removal in Pentagon documents as the Department of Defense purges references related to diversity, equity and inclusion—in this case, presumably because of the word “gay.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has targeted DEI in the Defense Department, declaring it “dead.” … [+] (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Tens of thousands of photos and online posts across the Department of Defense have been flagged for deletion as part of a purge targeting DEI-related materials, the Associated Press reported, following President Donald Trump’s executive order eliminating DEI programs across the federal government.
Among the items flagged for deletion is the World War II Enola Gay aircraft, which bears the name of Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of military pilot Paul Tibbets.
The AP, citing a military database confirmed by U.S. officials, also reported other photos and posts containing the word “gay” were flagged for deletion, including references to people who have the last name “Gay.”
The marks for deletion target women and people of color the most, the AP reported, including references to the country’s first Black military pilots and mentions of commemorative months, including Women’s History Month.
The purge follows Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s directive last week for the Pentagon to “remove all DoD news and feature articles, photos, and videos that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI),” citing Trump’s executive order.
Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot told the AP the department is “pleased by the rapid compliance across the Department with the directive removing DEI content,” clarifying if “content is removed that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct components accordingly.” (Forbes reached out to the Department of Defense for further comment).
What Is The Enola Gay Aircraft?
The Enola Gay aircraft was the first military aircraft to drop an atomic bomb during war. The aircraft, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, dropped the bomb code-named “Little Boy” on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. Five years ago, the Department of Defense published a 75th-anniversary tribute to the aircraft, crediting it with “bringing an end to a long and devastating World War II” while acknowledging it as one of the most famous military aircrafts in history.
How Else Have Trump’s Anti-Dei Orders Sparked Confusion?
Following Trump’s day-one executive order targeting DEI programs across the federal government, agencies have eliminated positions and altered language to remove references to “diversity”—but the order has sowed some confusion over how to comply. In a purge of all references to diversity, equity and inclusion from an Internal Revenue Service manual, the IRS erroneously deleted sentences completely unrelated to diversity. One sentence that was axed included a reference to the “inclusion” of a taxpayer identification number on a form, while another mentioned the “inequity” of holding on to a taxpayer’s money, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Defense Intelligence Agency ordered a pause on commemorative months, including Black History Month, though the White House issued a proclamation in February recognizing the month and urging public officials to “observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.” Trump’s federal funding freeze, which included funding for programs promoting “DEI” or “woke gender ideology,” also spread confusion about how to comply and what constitutes promoting DEI.
How Else Has The Defense Department Targeted Dei?
Trump targeted DEI in the Defense Department in several executive orders. In one order, issued on Jan. 27, Trump ordered the department to eliminate DEI offices, engage in color-blind hiring and promotions and cease promoting “gender ideology.” In another order issued the same day, Trump effectively banned transgender people from serving in the military. The Pentagon said last week transgender troops currently serving will be removed from their posts. Hegseth has opposed DEI in the Defense Department, telling Fox News in January it is “dead.”
Further Reading
Transgender troops will be removed from the military, Pentagon says (NBC News)
