Thousands of military images online either have been or are set to be removed following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's order to remove content showcasing diversity efforts within the military, including images of B-29 bomber Enola Gay due to having the word "gay" in it.
The bomber, which was used during World War II to drop an atomic bomb onto Hiroshima, Japan, was named Enola Gay after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of the bomber's pilot, Col. Paul Tibbets Jr., reported AP News.
Pictures of Tibbits standing in front of the bomber have been removed from the Pentagon's website following the order.
Over 26,000 images have been flagged for removal, including others containing the word "gay." A headshot of Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. A.C. Gay was removed alongside images of one Army Corps of Engineer worker who also had the surname Gay.
One official stated that the number of flagged images intended to be purged may even rise to 100,000 after considering social media accounts and websites.
Hegseth had given military agencies until Wednesday to remove any images reflective of any diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) being implemented within the military following President Donald Trump's signing of an executive order aiming to eradicate DEI programs in federal institutions nationwide.
Women and minorities achieved many of the images and accomplishments targeted by such purges. Many images being removed also showcase proceedings and events held to celebrate commemorative months, such as Women's History Month or Black History Month.
"We are pleased by the rapid compliance across the Department with the directive removing DEI content from all platforms. In the rare cases that content is removed that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct components accordingly," said Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot.
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