The Air & Space Museum Must Reckon with Enola Gay's History

An artifact of profound significance sits at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum — the Enola Gay. 

But this Boeing B-29 Superfortress is not just an exhibit; it's key to one of the most devastating events in human history: the bombing of Hiroshima. 

For too long, the portrayal of the Enola Gay has focused on its technological prowess and its place in aviation history. But there's a crucial chapter missing from this narrative — the immediate aftermath of its mission and the tens of thousands of lives lost. With that in mind, it’s clear that the National Air and Space Museum's exhibit on the Enola Gay is glaringly incomplete. 

Museums aren't just there for awe, but for context. This omission is unacceptable, especially when more than a million people visited the exhibit last year alone. That's a million opportunities for education and understanding missed.

As the 78th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing occurs this August, people are paying extra attention — which gives us a unique moment to press for change. Sign the petition to Lonnie G. Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian to tell him: It’s time to reckon with the past. The Enola Gay exhibit must mention the casualties at Hiroshima.