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In light of the controversy over the bomb, the United States needed justification for its actions more than ever. Congress wanted to make sure the questioning of the Atomic bomb did not overshadow the memory of the valor of the American military in the war. As mentioned before, controversy over the Atomic bomb began once people realized the human devastation the bomb had brought to Japanese shores. As the war became more and more separated from the present, however, the narrative changed. That opinion is reflected in the newspaper ads, film cartoons, and most entertainment media of the time. The generation of Americans who dealt with the war first hand, some of who were also in Congress in the 1990s, had a relatively uniform way of seeing the Japanese and the outcome of the war. The narrative of the bomb- that it had saved lives by avoiding a land invasion and that is had ended the war much sooner than the other option would have- needed to remain intact for America to continue seeing itself as the “good guy” in World War II. Perhaps the most important comment from the hearing came from California Senator Dianne Feinstein, who said, “It seems to me that I would look at a curator to determine historic value and validity of that value, not to interpret, not for their editorial comment,” (1141).
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Senator Wendell Ford also agreed that the way the veterans and people of the time remember the war is how everyone should remember it in the future, that the audience of the exhibit should “ the full ramifications of the war, but still somehow good about the role that the United States played in ending the war,” (1141). Senator Ted Stevens, Chairman of the hearing stirred personal sentiment by saying, “I do not want my grandson to walk out of that museum and ask me why I was one who was the aggressor, and why did I try to kill Japanese babies,” (1143).
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Other members of Congress were quick to sympathize.
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Any exhibit involving the historic plane should respect the men and women who served this country so faithfully and selflessly during World War II and should avoid impugning the memory of those who gave their lives for freedom,” (Documents, 1137). The role of the Enola Gay was momentous in helping bring World War II to a merciful close, saving both American and Japanese lives. For example, there are still more than twice as many photos of Japanese suffering than Americans. “The script continues to lack balance and historical context. Senator Nancy Kassebaum, who submitted the resolution, relayed this opinion in the following statement: World War II was very much a war of morality, and the United States staked victory with being “the good guys.” To be painted in an unflattering light, especially in terms of the bomb that gave Americans victory, would possibly turn Americans into the “bad guys,” and therefore wipe out any reason and justification behind the war itself. To many, it seemed like depicting too much of the devastation painted the United States as a war-hungry, evil power. Senators lobbied their opinions, and technically their constituents’ opinions, against the nature of the proposed exhibit. Here is how the Congressional hearings over the museum began: Congress definitely had a lot to say about this exhibit, particularly on how the Japanese accounts of the bomb affected the perception of America’s decision to use it. The Smithsonian is a federally funded institution this means the government is all-powerful in deciding what is placed on exhibit and, more importantly, how it is placed on exhibit. in Chantilly, Virginia- notably without much commentary. Udvar-Hazy Center, located outside of Washington, D.C. The Enola Gay is now at home in the Steven F. Eventually, Congress canceled the exhibit. When news of this “rounded approach” spread, controversy ensued. The museum also began to create an exhibit based around the plane that included Japanese accounts of the event as well. In 1994, the Smithsonian began the restoration of the Enola Gay, the infamous B-29 warplane that dropped “Little Boy” on Hiroshima. Courtesy of Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum