What harbgers of the future of public history the US rid the mid-1990s fight over the meang of the Enola Gay?
Contents:
- CONTROVERSY OVER THE ENOLA GAY EXHIBN
- THE SMHSONIAN’S DECISN TO EXHIB THE ‘ENOLA GAY’
- HISTORIANS PROTT NEW ENOLA GAY EXHIB
CONTROVERSY OVER THE ENOLA GAY EXHIBN
For the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Natnal Air and Space Mm proposed a ntroversial exhibn that displayed the Enola Gay. * enola gay exhibit controversy *
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.
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 SMHSONIAN’S DECISN TO EXHIB THE ‘ENOLA GAY’
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 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.
HISTORIANS PROTT NEW ENOLA GAY EXHIB
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.
The planned exhibn was replaced by a simple display of the felage of Enola Gay wh ltle historil ntext. Officials om the Universy stated was not tend as a replacement for the Enola Gay exhibn at the Smhsonian.
Enola Gay Today. Loted near Dull Airport, provis a permanent home for Enola Gay, as origally proposed back 1988.