As you step inside, a sense of reverence can be felt, and two simple marble slabs mark the final resting places for President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife Mamie. A small bronze plaque identifies each marble slab, and then you notice a third bronze plaque in the center, marking their young son Robert who died of Scarlet Fever.
A small chapel with just a few pews is located behind the wall at the head of the graves, and provides a place of reflection on those who have shaped our world so dramatically. A little know fact about the burial site is that President Eisenhower was buried in a standard issue military casket. A soldier to the end.
"Ike" was raised in a small frame house located on the grounds of the Presidential Library and Museum. The third of seven boys, his Mennonite parents instilled values of honesty, hard work, thriftiness and responsibility into all their sons, and they were all successful in their chosen fields, becoming lawyers, businessmen, and, of course, soldiers.
The house stands exactly where it was constructed, with only the surrounding area changing as the Library and Museum site was built and expanded. Purchased for $1000 by Dwight's father, David, the parcel included outbuildings and room for animals to pasture. It is furnished with items owned and used by the Eisenhower family, including a one hundred sixty year old coverlet owned by the Presidents grandfather.
We left the Eisenhower Home and entered the Museum. The initial emphasis is on the Presidents' war career, which was incredible. Ike graduated from West Point, worked through the ranks, and became a General. His promotion to five star General came as he was named Allied Supreme Commander in the European Theater. Perhaps the most publicized photo of Ike is the one taken just before D-Day was launched. He is shown encouraging his men, answering questions and providing support to them.
The uniform that soldier is wearing in the picture is on display in the museum.
As spectacular as President Eisenhower's military career was, he always regretted not having brought more of his "boys" home. The horrible events of June 6, 1944 affected him for the rest of his life. As president, he worked ceaselessly to not only protect America, but to avoid entering into a war. The cold war was an ever-evolving example of the fine line he walked with the Soviet Union, preventing an all out shooting war, while preventing advances by the Soviets.
In 1969, a horrible storm off the coast of France caused a number of artifacts lost during the D-Day Invasion to be washed ashore. Collections have been made in France, and in the Eisenhower Museum, of some of those long lost items.
A German helmet with bullet holes through it, two machine guns and a rifle, along with an exploded mortar shell and an American helmet and life preserver were among the things brought to shore by the storm. Who knows what still remains in the cold English Channel?
The next section of the museum details Ike and Mamie's early life. Mamie Geneva Doud was proposed to by a young Eisenhower on February 14, 1916, in San Antonio, Texas, where Mamie's family had a winter home. Ike presented her with an engagement ring inscribed "Dwight D. Eisenhower-Mamie G. Doud United States Military Academy 1915". It was his West Point graduation ring.
Mamie came from a well-to-do family, and had access to a 1914 Rauch and Lang electric automobile. Ike and Mamie spent hours driving about the countryside whenever he could get leave from his duties, but the car's 15 mph speed limit and 100 mile range limited their excursions somewhat. The cars 4000 pound weight and $4300 price tag made it impractical for the masses, and considering the condition of the roads at the time, it simply could not go very far anyway. Electric cars were considered ok for ladies to drive since they did not require manual labor to hand-crank a gasoline engine, so they were equipped with flower vases and curtains for a homey touch and swiveling front seats so that ladies could exit without showing their ankles.
The car still has the original leather Texas license plates.
The Eisenhower's were quite a handsome family, and due to her above average upbringing, Mamie brought this sense of style to their home, even when that home was the White House.
After Ike's election in 1952, essentially by acclamation, since he beat Adlai Stevenson by over 6 million votes, Mamie brought style and flair to the White House. Her designer gowns,
Her jewelry,
and, of course, her hats,
enlivened the White House as never before. She and Ike loved to entertain, with casual dinners outdoors off-times taking place in good weather. In later years, Ike would cook outdoors with secret recipes that he never revealed, even to his family.
In his words: "Folks, Here's my Mamie!"
After successfully navigating the turbulent political waters, both home and abroad, President Eisenhower left office in January, 1961, with regret for not having brought complete and lasting peace to the world. His fervent hope was that in a year, a decade, or a millennium that humankind would learn to live peacefully. He retired to his Gettysburg Estate to write his memoirs, and to reflect on the state of the world. His books give an insight into his military career and how that shaped his life. His death on March 28, 1969 unleashed a great outpouring of grief from around the world. Befitting his roles as a soldier and statesman, President Eisenhower received two funerals: a state funeral in Washington, D.C., and a military funeral in Abilene, Kansas. As his body lay in state in the Capitol rotunda for two days, thousands from around the country and world passed by to pay their respects. His funeral at the National Cathedral on March 31, 1969, was attended by old friends from Europe and world-wide dignitaries from the far corners of the globe.
A train had taken young Dwight D. Eisenhower to greatness in Washington and around the world, and a train brought him home. A simple military funeral attended by his beloved Mamie ("We're a union of opposites!") laid him to rest in his beloved Kansas farmland.
He was joined on November 1, 1979, by Mamie.
wow she died at a young age to me i am only !) and go to @##@)#(($)#$((#)$(
ReplyDelete