Controversial Public History Project

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C o n t r o v e r s i a l P u b l i c H i s t o r y P a g e | 1 Controversial Public History Project The Enola Gay & the End of World War 2 Sergio M. Davila Applied Studies in History Graduate Education HIS-530 Professor Benjamin Arrington Grand Canyon University 12/7/2023

C o n t r o v e r s i a l P u b l i c H i s t o r y P a g e | 2 The Enola Gay exhibit was very controversial. This outrage over the display had been going on for years before they were finally addressed. After years of disrepair, there was finally a movement to get this old B-29 Superfortress restored to its former glory. This was all possible because of the 509 Composite Group. Its immortal history began with the dropping of one the only two nuclear weapons in history: Hiroshima. One issue is that it has been moved around to several museums and was even on display at the Smithsonian Museum. Being that it was being moved a lot, taking it apart and putting it back together led to some wear & tear to the plane. 1 Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland was its home base for a while. It was located here from 1953-1960. Lax security led to it becoming vandalism and rust began to develop, thus reducing the luster of this heroic super fortress. This restoration project was set forth by the National Air and Space Museum. The NASM subsequently planned this restoration so the Enola Gay could be displayed in its former glory. The new location of the Enola Gay is at Paul Garber Preservation. 2 The Committee for the Restoration of and Proud Display of the Enola Gay began to spearhead the movement to begin fundraising just to restore this legendary aircraft. Martin Harwit was hired by the NASM to make this plane a legendary and memorable display. 1 Adams, Robert McCormick "Smithsonian Horizons," Smithsonian, July 1988, 12 [PDF] http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/trial/enola/files/round1/1_horizons0798.pdf. Accessed December 7, 2023 2Linenthal, Edward T, and Tom Engelhardt, eds. History Wars: The Enola Gay and Other Battles for the American Past. New York: Holt Paperbacks, 1996.

C o n t r o v e r s i a l P u b l i c H i s t o r y P a g e | 3 It was a forgone conclusion that the exhibit for the Enola Gay was going to be at the NASM Annex close to Dulles Airport near Washington, DC. This location was thought to be the most appropriate location for the time. One reason was that this museum could keep their planes there without constantly assembling and re-assembling them. This was definitely an attractive proposition so their wouldn’t have to be so much deterioration on the plane. One of the messages that folks wanted to hear out of this plane’s exhibition is that nuclear war should be avoided at all costs and the dangers should be notated here. With all the folks wanting the Enola Gay to be lauded as a prime example of World War 2 heroics, there have been critics of the display of the Enola Gay. One being Admiral Noel Gayler. He was a member of the Smithsonian’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC). He was of the belief that such displays of this history-making plan was tantamount to glorifying nuclear war. The RAC ended up falling in line with this opinion and began hosting big talks about not having the Enola Gay displayed at all. 3 Another official, Ben Nicks, began to send letters to Dr. Harwit. His letter voiced his displeasure of the exhibit. 4 Nicks wasn’t the only figure that had misgivings about this exhibit. Monroe Hatch, Jr. wrote a lengthy letter to Dr. Harwit in 1993 that cited several issues that he and a few of his colleagues had with the Enola Gay being displayed. One concern that he had was that the display portrayed the USA as the chief aggressor of World War 2. He also stated that the display was leading people to forget that Japan was the initial aggressor. 5 With all the fallout from the controversy about this display there were folks who drew up proposals to ease the tension for the critics in displaying the Enola Gay. Of course, these critics couldn’t be abated and they still had 3 Savold, David. “The Legacy of Strategic Bombing," Air & Space, October/November 1989, 26- 28. http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/trial/enola/files/round1/Savold.pdf. Accessed June 18, 2019 4Nicks, Ben. "Keep Moralizing out of Museums," Air & Space, December 1990/January 1991, 8. http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/trial/enola/files/round1/Nicks.pdf Accessed June 18, 2019 5Hatch Jr, Monroe. http://www.airforcemag.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Enola%20Gay %20Archive/091293HatchLtr.pdf

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C o n t r o v e r s i a l P u b l i c H i s t o r y P a g e | 4 their complaints. Michael Hyman, the new Smithsonian Secretary, decided to scrap the proposal and start a new proposal aimed at appeasing critics of the displaying of the Enola Gay. While the new proposal satisfied some critics, there were still some haters that couldn’t be satisfied. In another twist, while there was criticism of the old issues, now there was complaints about this display of being used as revisionist history and censorship. There were politics involved with the display as well as the lack of funding. People began to be wary of putting in money in on this project of the Enola Gay. Of course, in 1999, funding began to gain a groundswell in a private donation from an anonymous individual. This new exhibit opened in 1993. The new display praises the B-29’s new role in World War 2 by lauding its advances in technology as well as avoiding making too much of its role in the strategic bombing of Japan and other targets. In WW2. There are many perspectives the Enola Gay represents. One being that the role in which the Enola Gay had in bringing the USA out of the mouth of defeat, what with the disaster at Pearl Harbor and their victory at Tsushima. Hiroshima marked a turning point in WW2 versus the Japanese. Basically, the beginning of the end of the war and victory for the USA. This win solidified the American way of life. Conversely, it is definitely one of the most tragic events in Japanese lore. The use of the atomic bomb definitely sent shockwaves all over the world, with it being used on military and civilian targets. It showed our adversaries(the USSR & China), as well as our allies(the UK) that we meant business. While we were proud of our victory in WW2, we were mourning the loss of so many loved ones and soldiers that heroically gave their lives for the victory of the USA over Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. With that being said, the Smithsonian was trying to separate politics from nuclear brinksmanship.

C o n t r o v e r s i a l P u b l i c H i s t o r y P a g e | 5 With all the politics involved, it was hard to please all the stakeholders involved even with all the private donations, special interest groups, and funding of government bodies. The issue here was trying to get every side represented without bias. No one wanted to paint the USA as the aggressor so Japan had to undoubtedly be prescribed as the villain in this situation. There was no room for revisionist history however. Scholars had to be objective in their assessment in this chronicle of history. While it is a challenge, it is entirely needed for historians to maintain 100% objectivity regardless of how hard it. Many folks will say, “easier said than done”. Yet with that being said, there needs to be this objectivity to make sure that research is 100% reliable. Historians must see that “public may be defined in multiple and sometimes competing ways and that public interest is a fluid concept often formulated within the context of particular situations and subject to continuous debate” 6 Being that we are discussing World War 2 and the role of the Enola Gay, it is near impossible to avoid the true grit of looking at the violence and death involving the destructive nature of the atomic weapons that ended World War 2 with the nuking of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In fact, many critics have argued that the Enola Gay should be displayed at a museum strictly based on war. Another suggestion is that the Enola Gay display should be displayed as highlighting the promotion of nuclear deterrence. Another suggestion is showcasing the wonders of aviation and the mechanics involved. While it is hard to get away from the controversial nature of the role Enola Gay played in WW2, it is essential to find a great way to laud this aircraft as a wonder of modern mechanics and a symbol of American victory. We cannot mention one without talking about the other. 6 The NCPH Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct https://ncph.org/about/governance-committees/code-of-ethics-and- professional-conduct/. Accessed December 7, 2023.

C o n t r o v e r s i a l P u b l i c H i s t o r y P a g e | 6 REFERENCES Adams, Robert McCormick "Smithsonian Horizons," Smithsonian, July 1988, 12 [PDF] http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/trial/enola/files/round1/1_horizons0798.pdf. Accessed December 7, 2023 Hatch Jr, Monroe. http://www.airforcemag.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Enola%20Gay %20Archive/091293HatchLtr.pdf Linenthal, Edward T, and Tom Engelhardt, eds. History Wars: The Enola Gay and Other Battles for the American Past. New York: Holt Paperbacks, 1996 NCPH Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct https://ncph.org/about/governance-committees/code-of-ethics-and-professional-conduct/. Accessed December 7, 2023 Nicks, Ben. "Keep Moralizing out of Museums," Air & Space, December 1990/January 1991, 8. [PDF]http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/trial/enola/files/round1/Nicks.pdf Accessed December 7, 2023 Savold, David. “The Legacy of Strategic Bombing," Air & Space, October/November 1989, 26- 28. [PDF] http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/trial/enola/files/round1/Savold.pdf. Accessed December 7, 2023

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Controversial Public History Project

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