Enola Gay | Natnal Air and Space Mm

Contents:

• EXHIBG THE ENOLA GAY
• CONTROVERSY OVER THE ENOLA GAY EXHIBN
• TOURG THE SMHSONIAN AIR AND SPACE MM’S ENOLA GAY EXHIB
• THE SMHSONIAN’S DECISN TO EXHIB THE ‘ENOLA GAY’

EXHIBG THE ENOLA GAY

Enola Gay. While this exhib is now closed, Mm specialists ntued to rtore the remag ponents of the airplane, and after an addnal ne years the fully assembled Enola Gay went on permanent display at the Natnal Air and Space Mm’s Steven F.

This past exhibn, cidg wh the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, told the story of the role of the Enola Gay securg Japane surrenr. It ntaed several major ponents of the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber ed the atomic missn that stroyed Hiroshima, Japan. A vio prentatn about the Enola Gay's missn clud terviews wh the crew before and after the missn cludg missn pilot Col.

Another portn of the exhib tailed the pastakg efforts of Smhsonian aircraft rtoratn specialists who had spent more than a rtorg parts of the Enola Gay for this exhibn. Boeg B-29 Superfortrs "Enola Gay". Frequently Asked Qutns Regardg Exhibn of B-29 Superfortrs Enola Gay.

CONTROVERSY OVER THE ENOLA GAY EXHIBN

The Enola Gay: The B-29 That Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima. Many veterans had advoted for the display of the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortrs ed to drop the bombs, as a celebratn of Amerin triumph over Japan, but there were already ncerns that the Smhsonian was creatg a polilly rrect, revisnist terpretatn of the events. Harw rigned on May 2, 1995, jt days before he was schled to ttify Senate June 28, 1995, an exhibn, simply tled "Enola Gay, " opened at the Natnal Air and Space Mm.

Unlike the ncelled exhibn, "Enola Gay" ntaed no terpretatn, no graphic imag, and no melted objects. Only the felage was on display, acpanied by basic facts and rmatn about the plane's entire Enola Gay bomber is currently on display the "World War II Aviatn" exhibn at the Natnal Air and Space Mm's Steven F. Related RourcCollectns related to the Enola Gay, Smhsonian Instutn ArchivThe Enola Gay: A Natn's, and a Mm's, Dilemma, Edorial by Mart Harw, The Washgton Post, Augt 7, 1994Special Report: The Smhsonian and the Enola Gay, Air Force Associatn, March 15, 1994Smhsonian Cancels Exhib on Atomic Bomb, The Baltimore Sun, January 31, 1995Recent Acquisn - Rerds om Mart Harw, Director, NASM, 1986-1995, The Bigger Picture, Smhsonian Instutn Archiv.

For the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Natnal Air and Space Mm (NASM) proposed an exhibn that would clu displayg the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortrs that was ed to drop the bomb on Hiroshima.

TOURG THE SMHSONIAN AIR AND SPACE MM’S ENOLA GAY EXHIB

Enola Gay, after the war. Followg World War II, the Enola Gay had been moved around om lotn to lotn. In 1961, the Enola Gay was fully disassembled and moved to the Pl E.

The veterans formed “the Commtee for the Rtoratn and Proud Display of the Enola Gay” to raise funds.

Lenthal, who was on the advisory board of the Enola Gay exhib. This visn clud his nsc cisn to display the Enola Gay. At first, the Enola Gay was planned to be displayed at an annex NASM facily near Washgton Dull Internatnal Airport.

THE SMHSONIAN’S DECISN TO EXHIB THE ‘ENOLA GAY’

The Enola Gay had recently fished beg renovated and the mm had been ncerned about transportatn and reassemble fe; therefore, the proposed annex appeared to be a ftg lotn. They cid to exhib the Enola Gay at the annex, wh an acpanyg msage about the dangers of strategic bombg and latn. Commtee member Admiral Noel Gayler believed that any exhibn of the Enola Gay would imply “that we are celebratg the first and so far the only e of nuclear weapons agast human begs.

” Still, Harw phed for a follow-up wh an exhibn on World War II that would clu the Enola Gay. While they were “unanimo agreeg that the Enola Gay is an artifact of pivotal signifince and that should be exhibed, ” they asked the mm to avoid discsg the cisn to drop the bomb and to nsir an alternative se, such as an armed servic mm.