1. United States
2. Okla.
3. Letter

The military's removal of "Enola Gay" photos and other unrelated content in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion rules is deeply concerning. While promoting diversity is laudable, purging important historical records in an overzealous manner risks erasing key parts of our shared history. The Enola Gay aircraft is intrinsically tied to a pivotal moment in World War II, and its images hold immense significance regardless of one's view on the bombings themselves. Attempting to whitewash uncomfortable aspects of the past does a disservice to understanding the full context and learning from it. This ill-conceived purge appears to have spiraled out of control, flagging innocuous photos and posts simply because they contain certain words. Removing a staggering 100,000 pieces of content indiscriminately undermines the military's documentary record and chips away at transparency. We urge a reconsideration of this directive to protect the preservation of military history and avoid the needless destruction of artifacts and materials vital to understanding our nation's story. Reasonable people may disagree on complex issues, but excising facts from the record benefits no one.