A particular image of the Enola Gay is no longer available on an Air Force website where it was previously located. As a B-29 Superfortress, the aircraft holds significant historical importance, notably for carrying the nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, it has come to light that numerous photographs of this nuclear bomber, along with many others, have been removed from Department of Defense (DoD) websites as part of a larger effort to purge what are deemed “woke” photographs from Pentagon websites.
The disappearance of this Enola Gay picture is not an isolated incident. A team of journalists from the Associated Press has archived and counted 26,000 distinct pieces of media that the DoD has removed from its historical records. The AP notes that this list is incomplete, suggesting there are likely more items that have been purged, and that this process is ongoing.
The removal of these photos is a direct result of an executive order issued by Donald Trump, aiming to end what he termed “radical and wasteful government DEI programs.” Following the signing of this order, the Pentagon announced its plan to purge images and content related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from its websites and databases, as part of a broader effort to align its digital content with the views of the Trump administration and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, emphasizing a focus on military lethality.
Content was removed to align with the President’s executive orders and DoD priorities in accordance with DoD instruction 5400.17, “Official Use of Social Media for Public Affairs Purposes.” pic.twitter.com/XkszFOFfXQ
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) February 27, 2025
The execution of this purge has been criticized for being imprecise and somewhat arbitrary. The specific reason behind the removal of the mentioned Enola Gay picture is unclear, though it is speculated that the URL containing the term “deiatomic-exposure” might have triggered an automated system designed to filter out content related to DEI. Interestingly, the same picture of the bomber remains available in another Pentagon database.
The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), a repository for DoD images and videos, still hosts multiple photos of the Enola Gay, as well as photos and videos of service members with the last name “Gay”, indicating that the purge may not have been triggered by specific keywords in all cases. However, other innocuous photos of the Enola Gay have indeed been removed, reflecting the inconsistent nature of the purge.
The content that has been removed overwhelmingly features women and non-white service members, including a 15-year-old article about an all-female crew of Air Force support staff, a lecture by a Tuskegee Airman on integration, and photos of multicultural celebrations at Marine Corps bases. These items were part of a broader effort by the Pentagon to showcase the diversity and inclusive nature of the U.S. military.
The AP’s archived database of removed content is searchable and provides valuable information for archivists and the public, including the original URLs, keywords, and titles of the removed photos. This resource is especially significant for preserving historical records and honoring the servicemembers featured in these photos.
The concept of a “content refresh” implies a shift in messaging. Secretary Hegseth has emphasized the need for the U.S. military to focus primarily on lethality, portraying the military as an entity whose sole purpose is to destroy. Under his leadership, the DoD has adjusted its public communications to reflect this ideology.
For instance, on March 1, the U.S. Central Command shared a video on X showing a Hellfire R-9X missile striking a target in Syria, with the missile using blades to destroy its target without an explosion. The video was repurposed by other military accounts, sometimes with comments expressing satisfaction at the missile’s capability to kill the target’s driver while traumatizing any passengers, exemplifying the military’s lethal focus.
Internationally, and among U.S. citizens, there is a perception of the American military as a force that bullied and terrorized. The Pentagon has made efforts to change this narrative, previously showcasing the military’s role in humanitarian missions, peacekeeping, and its diverse and inclusive environment through images and stories of its servicemembers. The removal of these images and stories from the internet undermines these efforts, reverting to a singular focus on military might and lethality.
Trump and Hegseth’s stance simplifies the role of the Pentagon to that of a killing force, neglecting the complexities and nuances of modern military operations and the values of diversity and inclusion that the military had sought to promote.
