Many may not know that President Dwight D. Eisenhower was from Abilene, Kansas. He was born in Texas and his parents moved to Kansas when he was 2 years old. He always called it his home and was proud to be from there. We visited his presidential library and the home where he grew up.

Intro: 0:00
Eisenhower home history: 0:13
5-star General: 1:47
Boyhood home: 3:02
Battle of the Bulge: 3:59
President Eisenhower’s burial site: 4:40
Ike’s thoughts on D-Day: 6:04

Transcript

So I’m standing in front of the Boyhood home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. And what’s interesting about the Eisenhower home… The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene. Jennifer of Walk with History today we’re in Abilene, Kansas the boyhood home of President Dwight David Eisenhower. He’s actually named David Dwight Eisenhower but his father’s name was David so they call him Dwight. 34th President of the United States, one of five five-star generals and the Supreme Allied Commander of the Atlantic side. Even though Eisenhower is born in 1890 in Texas, the family moves here in 1892 to Abilene, Kansas. And this is where he really considers his childhood home, his hometown. This is the reason why he’s buried here. This is the reason why his presidential library is here. His statue is here. His museum is here. The boyhood home still exists and we’ll look at the outside of it. But this is where he will grow up. This is where he will find his love of baseball. And it’s from here that he will go on to West Point. The statue here of General Dwight D. Eisenhower is depicted in uniform because he’s one of five five-star generals that have ever been awarded in the Army and it happened in 1944 and more than likely because he’s Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force but he planned and supervised two of the most consequential military campaigns of World War two Operation Torch in North Africa in 1942 and the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944. I went over to a field from which the airborne, the American airborne started out. Now I couldn’t go to all these fields because there were many of them but I did go into the 101st Division and it was a very fine experience. They were getting ready and all camouflaged and their faces blackened and all this and then they saw me and of course they’d recognize me and say now quit worrying General, we’ll take care of this thing for you and that kind of thing was a good feeling. It’s a good feeling. You They moved here to Abilene, Kansas in 1892. So they move in here six years later. Dwight will be eight years old. And they live here all through World War II. Dwight is the third of seven boys. So not a very big house for seven boys. And if you think, this is the time when he is the commander of the Atlantic side of World War II. So they’re probably getting telegrams here, updates, communications of what’s happening during the war since their son is leading. And so the Eisenhowers are probably living in this house while they’re getting communications about that war. Across from the statue of President Eisenhower is this bench from the veterans of the Battle of the Bulge and dedicated to all World War II veterans. The Battle of the Bulge fought from December to January 1944 to 1945, the largest and bloodiest battle. My grandfather was in the Battle of the Bulge. My grandfather drove a tank in World War II and was part of the Battle of the Bulge and I think it’s it’s an honor to see this and to be here and to recognize it and I wanted to bring it to you. Six hundred and forty thousand Americans fought in the battle, almost twenty thousand were killed, almost twenty-four thousand were captured and about forty eight thousand were wounded. Morning of March 28th, 1969, Eisenhower will die at Walter Reed Medical Center of congestive heart failure at 78 years old. He will lay in state in the Capitol and come here to this place of meditation, a small chapel close to the boyhood home, close to where his museum and library will eventually be. He’s buried in a government issue casket and what’s also interesting is he’s buried in his World War II uniform and that jacket that is worn is actually called an Eisenhower even today and so even when I was in the military you had your Eisenhower jacket. He’s buried in an Eisenhower jacket. That was also a question on Jeopardy once so you’re welcome if you’re ever in that situation. Beside his wife, Mamie, who will die in 1979, one of his two sons, his older son, who dies at three years old from scarlet fever. He’s originally buried in Denver, Colorado, but reinterred here once Eisenhower passes away. And those are the three graves you will find here when you visit the place of meditation. Walter, this D-Day has a very special meaning for me. My mind goes back so often to this fact. On D-Day, my own son graduated from West Point. And after his training with his division, he came over with the 71st Division. But that was some time after this event. But on the very day he was graduating, these men came here. British, and our other allies, Americans. To storm these beaches for one purpose only. Not to gain anything for ourselves. Not to fulfill any ambitions that America had for conquest. But just to preserve freedom.