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That same night, Private Nelson Miller painted the name under the pilot's window.

At 2:45 AM on August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay took off from North Field, Tinian, accompanied by two other B-29s: The Great Artiste, carrying instrumentation, and Necessary Evil, assigned to document the event. The B-29 Superfortress, departing from Tinian Island, carried “Little Boy” – the first atomic bomb ever used in combat.

The B-29 Superfortress that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima stands as a powerful reminder of World War II‘s end and humanity’s entry into the nuclear age.

The aircraft’s trip to its current display involved:

A massive restoration project requiring over 300,000 work-hours
Careful preservation to maintain its World War II-era condition
Resolution of heated debates about how to present its complex legacy

Today, you’ll find the Enola Gay as a centerpiece of the National Air and Space Museum‘s collection, where it continues to spark discussions about technological advancement and the devastating impact of nuclear warfare.

The aircraft’s pressurized cabin design represented a revolutionary advancement that had allowed crews to fly at unprecedented altitudes during wartime operations.

The Long Road to Restoration

The seemingly endless trek to restore the Enola Gay began in 1984, marking the start of one of the most ambitious aircraft preservation projects in history.

On June 14, Captain Robert A. Lewis and Crew B-9 flew it from Omaha to Wendover Army Air Field, Utah, where it underwent further modifications. On August 1, its tail markings were changed to match those of the 6th Bombardment Group as a security measure, and its squadron number was altered from 12 to 82.

The atomic bomb, code-named "Little Boy," was transported to Tinian in separate components.

However, due to heavy smoke and cloud cover, the primary target was abandoned, and the bomb was instead dropped on Nagasaki by another B-29, Bockscar.

After the war, the Enola Gay was flown back to the United States, arriving at Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico, on November 8, 1945. It later took part in Operation Crossroads nuclear tests in the Pacific but was not chosen to drop a test bomb.

Later, on June 27, it departed for Guam before reaching North Field, Tinian, on July 6, 1945.

Throughout July, the Enola Gay participated in several training flights and operational missions, including the dropping of "pumpkin bombs"—conventional explosives used to simulate the weight and handling of an atomic bomb—on industrial targets in Japan. The Smithsonian’s proposed exhibition sparked intense controversy in 1995, as veterans groups claimed it portrayed the U.S.

negatively while downplaying Japan’s role in World War II.

Three major issues fueled the debate:

The exhibition’s focus on Japanese suffering rather than American casualties
Veterans’ objections to sections about the atomic weapons race
Concerns that the display undermined the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima

After heated discussions and intervention from Senator Nancy Kassebaum, the Smithsonian revised the exhibition.

"Any records of that mission would be significant."

The Enola Gay B-29 was on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, in December.

Today, the Enola Gay remains a powerful artifact, symbolizing both the technological advancements of warfare and the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons.

The B-29 aircraft Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II.

It raises the question, who was Enola Gay?

Gay was the mother of Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr., the Commander of the Hiroshima mission directed to assemble and train the B-29 crew to drop the first ever atomic bomb on an enemy target in World War II.

At approximately 2:45 am on August 6, 1945, Tibbets, the pilot of the plane, and his crew of 11 people left Tinian island carrying a uranium bomb that was called "Little Boy" in the Enola Gay.

Tibbets, who had a maintenance man paint that name on the aircraft's nose before takeoff, was accompanied by several other planes in his mission.

At 8:15 am on August 6, 1945, the bomb was released over Hiroshima, killing tens of thousands of people.

Tibbets then flew the Enola Gay back to Tinian, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

More recently, images of the Enola Gay were among tens of thousands of photos and online posts set to be deleted by the Defense Department in its efforts to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion content, according to a database obtained by The Associated Press.

The Associated Press reported that some of the 26,000 photos set to be deleted were simply flagged for removal because the file contained the word "gay".

Among those images set to be deleted included an image of the B-29 aircraft Enola Gay.

When asked about the database, Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement: "We are pleased by the rapid compliance across the Department with the directive removing DEI content from all platforms.

In 1961, Smithsonian personnel dismantled the Enola Gay and moved it to a storage facility in Suitland, Maryland.

In the early 1980s, efforts began to restore and display the Enola Gay. Veterans of the 509th Composite Group, along with figures like Senator Barry Goldwater, advocated for its preservation. Restoration began in the 1980s and continued into the 1990s.

For the 50th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing in 1995, the cockpit and nose section were displayed at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C., sparking significant controversy regarding the historical context of the exhibit.

After dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, the Enola Gay underwent decades of relocation and restoration. You can trace the 1,500-mile expedition that forever changed warfare as the crew traversed toward Hiroshima.

At 31,000 feet, the Enola Gay released its devastating payload, which detonated 2,000 feet above the city.

Named after Enola Gay Tibbets, the mother of its pilot, Colonel Paul W. Tibbets Jr., the bomber was instrumental in the mission that devastated Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945.

Built by the Glenn L. Martin Company at its Bellevue, Nebraska, plant, the Enola Gay was one of the first fifteen B-29s modified under the "Silverplate" specifications.

Before the Smithsonian Institution could begin its painstaking work, the historic B-29 had bounced between various storage locations, including Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona and Park Ridge, Illinois.

You wouldn’t believe the scale of the restoration – it took nearly 20 years and over 300,000 work-hours to complete.

Since 2003, the fully restored Enola Gay has been on display at the NASM’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

The last surviving member of the Enola Gay’s crew, Theodore Van Kirk, passed away on July 28, 2014, at the age of 93. The Air Force Association and other veterans’ groups argued that the decision to use atomic weapons ultimately saved lives by preventing a costly invasion of Japan.

You’ll find that pilot Paul Tibbets and his crew members stood firm in defending the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a necessary action to end World War II.

The public reaction was equally divided, sparking an intense debate over the decision that changed human history.

While some visitors wanted a more critical examination of the bombings’ devastating impact, veterans insisted that the exhibition should primarily honor the sacrifices made by American servicemen who helped bring the war to a swift outcome.

The Enola Gay Today: Legacy and Display

After decades of controversy and careful restoration, visitors can now find the Enola Gay proudly displayed at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.

The aircraft safely returned to Tinian at 2:58 PM, where Tibbets and his crew were greeted with cheers and awarded medals.

Three days later, on August 9, 1945, the Enola Gay participated in the second atomic bombing mission as a weather reconnaissance aircraft for Kokura, the primary target. The resulting destruction killed up to 200,000 people and effectively ended World War II.

The crew witnessed the blinding flash and felt the shock waves of humanity’s first nuclear attack.

The aircraft later participated in atomic testing before finding its final home at the Smithsonian Institution, where it stands as a sobering reminder of the dawn of the nuclear age. Millions visit annually, reflecting on its substantial historical significance and enduring legacy.

Enola Gay: The Aircraft That Changed History

The Enola Gay, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, played a pivotal role in World War II, becoming the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb in warfare.

You’ll find this historic B-29 Superfortress bomber at the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington, D.C., where it rests as a fully restored centerpiece.