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• The ever present threat of nuclear war must be addressed by an intelligent public.  A well designed exhibit would convey the message that strategic bombing with nuclear weapons is too horrible an escalation of past warfare for any civilized society to contemplate.

Admiral Gayler's reasons for opposing the exhibit follow below.  The Committee believes that his views have received careful consideration by top-level management of the Smithsonian Institution.

• Museum is space and aeronautics oriented, embracing not only history, but display and archival functions.  Space related technologies such as mapping, tectonics and communications are emphasized, with emphasis on the future.

• Enola Gay fits none of these criteria.  While it is one of an interesting class of strategic bombers - B-29 - there is nothing special of aeronautical interest.

• As an exhibit, Enola Gay exemplifies the progression of the mass slaughter of innocents from the raids on London and Germany to the fire bombing of Tokyo and other Japanese cities.

• It (the attack on Hiroshima), however much it may be justified in the aftermath as military necessity (incorrectly) was none the less genocide.

• No matter what material or disclaimer accompanies a display, the impression cannot be avoided that we are celebrating the first and so far only use of nuclear weapons against human beings.

The issues surrounding the exhibition of the Enola Gay merit fuller debate.  Comments pro and con the language of the first draft report offered these further considerations:

Admiral Gayler does not view the sortie of the Enola Gay as a heroic venture.  Compared to the heroism of bomber crews who went back again and again into action against fighter aircraft and flak, he rates the Hiroshima and Nagasaki missions as "milk runs" not deserving of any glorification.

Several members object to the use of the word [[underlined]] genocide [[/underlined]] in connection with the nuclear bombing of Japan as too extreme.  Japanese casualties were small on the scale of Hitler's genocide and the U.S. goal was to bring the war abruptly to an end.  Subsequent U.S. contributions to Japan's post-war recovery have led to a remarkable era of prosperity.

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