5 Shocking Facts About The Enola Gay Plane's 2025 Controversy And Its Final Resting Place

Jan 10, 2026 • minute read

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The B-29 Superfortress known as the Enola Gay remains one of the most historically significant and controversial aircraft in existence, a symbol forever tied to the end of World War II and the dawn of the nuclear age. As of December 2025, the massive bomber is a centerpiece of the National Air and Space Museum, yet its legacy continues to spark debate, most recently involving a surprising new political controversy at the highest levels of the U.S. military.

This legendary aircraft, which dropped the "Little Boy" atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, has a history marked by painstaking restoration efforts, decades of museum exhibition disputes, and the profound weight of its mission. Beyond the well-known pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets, the story of the Enola Gay involves a dedicated 12-man crew and a political battle over how its history should be presented to the public.

The Complete 12-Man Crew: Biographies of the Enola Gay's Mission Team

The aircraft's namesake comes from Paul Tibbets’ mother, Enola Gay Tibbets. The Enola Gay was a Martin-built B-29-45-MO, part of the 509th Composite Group, specially modified for the atomic mission. The crew who flew the Hiroshima mission were highly trained specialists, each playing a critical role in the world-altering flight.

Here is the complete list of the 12 men who flew the Enola Gay on August 6, 1945:

Colonel Paul W. Tibbets Jr. (1915–2007): Pilot and Aircraft Commander. Tibbets was born in Quincy, Illinois, on February 23, 1915, and joined the Army in 1937. He rose to the rank of Brigadier General and was the man personally selected to command the 509th Composite Group and pilot the atomic mission.
Captain Robert A. Lewis: Co-Pilot. Lewis was the plane's regularly assigned co-pilot, and his journal entries from the mission provide a firsthand account of the historic flight.
Major Thomas Ferebee: Bombardier. Ferebee was responsible for aiming and releasing the "Little Boy" bomb over the target.
Captain Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk: Navigator. As navigator, Van Kirk plotted the course from Tinian Island to Hiroshima.
Lieutenant Jacob Beser: Radar Countermeasures Officer. Beser was the only man to fly on both atomic missions (Hiroshima on the Enola Gay and Nagasaki on Bockscar), tasked with monitoring for Japanese radar.
Captain William S. "Deak" Parsons: Weaponeer. Parsons, a Navy ordnance expert, was responsible for arming the atomic bomb during the flight, a task deemed too risky to perform on the ground.
Second Lieutenant Morris R. Jeppson: Assistant Weaponeer. Jeppson assisted Parsons in the critical arming procedure.
Technical Sergeant Wyatt Duzenbury: Flight Engineer. Duzenbury monitored the B-29's four massive Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone engines.
Staff Sergeant Joe Stiborik: Radar Operator. Stiborik operated the radar equipment for navigation and target confirmation.
Technical Sergeant Robert H. Shumard: Assistant Flight Engineer/Scanner. Shumard assisted the flight engineer and observed the engines from his station.
Staff Sergeant George R. Caron: Tail Gunner. Caron provided rear defense and was the first to photograph the mushroom cloud from the aircraft.
Private First Class Richard Nelson: Radio Operator. Nelson maintained communication with the command base.

The Decades-Long Battle Over Exhibition and the New 2025 Controversy

The Enola Gay’s life after the war was fraught with controversy, long before its current display. After its final missions, the plane was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1949, but its sheer size and the political sensitivity of its mission meant it spent decades in storage, deteriorating from exposure and even vandalism.

The full-scale restoration effort did not truly begin until the early 1980s, driven by a renewed push to preserve the artifact. The Smithsonian's first attempt to display the forward fuselage in 1995—marking the 50th anniversary of the bombing—ignited a massive public and political firestorm.

The planned exhibit, which intended to focus on the human cost of the bombing, was criticized by veterans' groups and members of Congress for presenting a narrative that seemed to question the necessity of the atomic attacks. The resulting public outcry led to the cancellation of the original, controversial exhibit and the resignation of the museum director, ultimately resulting in a much more limited display of just the fuselage with minimal historical context.

The Unforeseen 'DEI Purge' of 2025

Decades later, the Enola Gay is again at the center of a political storm, this time related to the Department of Defense (DoD). In a surprising update from March 2025, reports surfaced that references to the historic aircraft and other military heroes were flagged for removal from Pentagon documents and public-facing media as part of a crackdown on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

This "DEI purge" flagged over 26,000 images and references, including the Enola Gay, sparking confusion and outrage among historians and political commentators. While some officials later attempted to clarify that they were "NOT removing images of the Enola Gay or any other pictures that honor the legacy," the initial flagging highlighted the continued sensitivity and political weaponization of the aircraft's legacy. The incident demonstrates that the debate over how to frame the history of World War II and the atomic missions remains intensely active in the current political climate.

Where to See the Enola Gay Today: Final Resting Place and Restoration Details

After the intense, decades-long restoration effort, the fully reassembled Enola Gay B-29 Superfortress finally found its permanent home and went on full display in 2003. This monumental aircraft is not housed at the main National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., but rather at its annex facility.

The aircraft is exhibited at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, near Dulles International Airport. It is displayed as part of the World War II Aviation exhibit, hanging alongside other iconic aircraft that played pivotal roles in the conflict.

The restoration itself was a massive undertaking by Smithsonian specialists. The aircraft had suffered from exposure to the elements and required painstaking conservation work to restore its original condition. The full display of the aircraft—a testament to the dedication of the restorers and the enduring historical significance of the plane—allows visitors to walk beneath the immense wingspan of the machine that irrevocably changed the course of human history. The display ensures that the story of the 509th Composite Group, the "Little Boy" bomb, and the end of the Pacific War continues to be told for future generations.

5 Shocking Facts About the Enola Gay Plane's 2025 Controversy and Its Final Resting Place

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