In 1995 there was to be an exhibit at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan and the end of World War II. It was to open May 1995. Amid the controversy over the planned content of that exhibit, the original design was scrapped and a pared-down exhibit was mounted in its place. That exhibit, The Enola Gay, opened in late June. During this time Allday and Michener had a conversation about these issues. Soon after, Michener wrote this letter to Allday and requested that it not be made public until after Michener's death. For more information on the The Enola Gay exhibit see: http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal103/gal103_former.html. Biography of Martin L. Allday: Martin L. Allday was an eighteen year old infantry man who was wounded at Okinawa. Allday and Michener met at a wedding celebration and became involved in a conversation regarding the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan. For a short biographical sketch of Martin L. Allday, see: http://www.purpleheartaustin.org/allday.htm