Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Joins National Park System

In this presidential election year, and 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, it is fitting that the National Park Service honors a memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC, honors Eisenhower’s legacy as the World War II Supreme Allied Commander and nation’s 34th president.

It is the 420th unit to be part of NPS, which includes national parks, national historic sites and national monuments including Yellowstone National Park,the Statue of Liberty and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home and Library.

Designed by noted architect Frank Gehry, the memorial features three bronze statues of Eisenhower by sculptor Sergey Eylanbekov.

One features  General Eisenhower with troops from the 101st Airborne the day before the invasion of Normandy, another sculpture depicts President Eisenhower in the White House surrounded by civilian and military advisors, and a third portrays “Little Ike” in his boyhood in Abilene, Kansas.

The stone bas-relief images and inscription panels highlight passages from notable Eisenhower addresses and give context to the memorial’s sculptures.

Framing the entire memorial is a first-of-its-kind stainless steel woven tapestry by artist Thomas Osinski, which depicts the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc on the Normandy coastline.

The memorial is located in a newly created, four-acre public park along Independence Avenue SW between 4th Street SW and 6th Street SW, across from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial is administered as part of the NPS’s National Mall and Memorial Parks and is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

NPS rangers provide programs for visitors and answer questions.

For more information and photographs of the new memorial, visit http://www.nps.gov/ddem.

The site is surrounded by several federal agencies that have roots in the Eisenhower administration, including the Department of Education; Department of Health and Human Services (formerly Health, Education and Welfare); Department of Transportation; Federal Aviation Administration; NASA and Voice of America.

Link to the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abiline, Kansas.

“As the commanding general in World War II, Dwight Eisenhower forever changed the course of human history in leading the United States to victory. After being persuaded to run for President a few years after the war, he was a transformational leader, peacemaker, rebuilder, civil rights advocate and fiscal hawk who helped make our country a beacon of freedom and hope for the world,” said Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt. 

“As the stewards of our nation’s monuments, memorials and historical sites, we enthusiastically welcome the Eisenhower Memorial to the National Park System as our 420th unit. We will forever tell the inspiring story of President Eisenhower and his unparalleled legacy through this iconic memorial in Washington D.C.”

“As our nation commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, we are pleased to welcome the Eisenhower Memorial to the National Mall,” said Margaret Everson, Counselor to the Secretary, exercising the delegated authority of the NPS Director.

“In addition to honoring Eisenhower’s presidential legacy, this memorial recognizes his significant contributions to the Second World War and joins a nationally significant group of parks, monuments, and memorials that help tell these stories and will be protected for the enjoyment of generations to come.”

“Commemorating both Dwight D. Eisenhower’s role as Allied Supreme Commander during World War II and 34th President of the United States, this memorial takes its rightful place among the National Mall’s memorials that pay tribute to great American figures and military achievements,” said National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Jeff Reinbold. 

“The National Park Service is honored to serve as the keeper of America’s story, and to care for this incredible venue from which to honor Eisenhower and his unique achievements in service to America.”