IKE INSIGHT
YOU DID IT!
Thank you to our Friends of the Eisenhower Foundation for helping us reach our $20,000 D-Day fundraising goal! These funds are being matched dollarfor-dollar by loyal donors and widows of World War II veterans. Your support is so important and appreciated as we continue to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the last World War.
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Honoring the Greatest Generation
D-Day. June 6, 1944. This was the event that turned the tide for the Allied Forces in World War II.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of this historic occasion, military leaders, elected officials and members of the public gathered on the grounds of the Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum in Abilene, Kansas, to honor all who served in World War II. Special tribute was given to 20 veterans who were in attendance.
Governor Laura Kelly spoke with veterans following the Remembrance Ceremony.
The day began with a Meet a World War II Veteran reception, followed by a Remembrance Ceremony which included a flyover by the Fort Riley 1st Infantry Division AH-64E Apache, veteran procession, wreath laying, veteran recognition, and 21 gun salute provided by the VFW and American Legion.
After the invocation by Colonel Shawn McCammon, remarks were given by Governor Laura Kelly, Major General Paul T. Stanton, Brigadier General Niave F. Knell, Senator Jerry Moran, Eisenhower Library Supervisory Archivist James Ginther, and Eisenhower Foundation Executive Director Meredith Sleichter.
“While the majority of the more than 16 million Americans who
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Honoring the Greatest Generation
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fought in World War II are no longer with us, their legacies endure,” Governor Kelly said. “To the veterans who are here with us today, thank you for your service. Yours is truly the greatest generation.”
Eisenhower family members Mary Jean and Merrill Eisenhower, and Mike Dodson, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General and Eisenhower Foundation board member, presented veterans with a certi appreciation for their service.
Left: Wreath laying & procession led by the VFW Color Guard, Fort Riley 1st Infantry Division, McPherson Bagpipe Band, and World War II veterans. Middle: Boy Scouts Troop #41 also assisted in escorting veterans during the procession. Right: The wreath was placed by the Eisenhower statue. Similar wreaths were placed the same day at the Normandy American Cemetery, Utah Beach American Memorial, The World War II Memorial, the Eisenhower Memorial in Washington D.C., and Eisenhower’s birthplace in Denison, Texas.
Merrill Eisenhower, great-grandson of Dwight D. Eisenhower, presented attending World War II veterans with certificates of appreciation for their service.
Military leaders from across the U.S. attended the event. At right, Major General Paul T. Stanton, Fort Eisenhower, thanked veterans for their “unmatched courage and sacrifice.”
Design Selected for Silo Project
The mural design submitted by Ben Tegtmeier, Eudora, Kansas, has been selected for the Eisenhower Silo Project on the Bert & Wetta Sales Inc. silo in Abilene, Kansas. The mural will be completed in the fall of 2024 by Mindy Allen, Junction City, Kansas. An unveiling ceremony will be held after completion.
The project is made possible thanks to support from the Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Creative Arts and Industries Commission (which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency), the Community Foundation of Dickinson County, and Bert & Wetta Sales Inc.
Meredith’s Memo
Cold War Exhibit Open
A new temporary exhibit, Cold War: Soviets, Spies, and Secrets, is now open at the Eisenhower Presidential Museum in the Special Exhibits Gallery. The Cold War dominated every facet of postwar 20th century Western life. Bomb shelters, air raid drills, and draft cards were part of daily life. Spies infiltrated the highest levels of government on both sides, while the superpowers stockpiled nuclear weapons. This exhibit, originally curated by the Nixon Presidential Foundation and Library, is open through March 2025.
IKEducation Offers Learning Experiences to Complement Exhibit
Programs designed to enhance students’ exploration of the Cold War exhibit will be offered for the upcoming school year.
Spy vs. Spy is exhibit exploration with an escape room twist. As students explore the exhibit, they will gather intelligence, rendezvous with other undercover agents, and work together to find the clues that will answer their essential question. Can they beat the clock and foil the KGB?
Fallout Shelter has students playing a board game that requires them to make choices and face problems about the limited supplies they have in their fallout shelter.
In addition to these in-exhibit experiences, IKEducation also offers several other complementary Cold War programs that K-12 students can participate in during their visit.
As a loyal donor and Friend of the Eisenhower Foundation, I wanted you to be the first to know about a significant milestone in our journey towards advancing our mission. I am excited to announce The Sunderland Foundation, Overland Park, Kansas, has granted $1 million dollars to kick off the I Like Ike campaign. This gift, along with a collective commitment of $1 million dollars from the Eisenhower Foundation’s Board of Directors, are the first gifts to the campaign. Throughout his life, Dwight D. Eisenhower set a timeless standard of high character and purpose in his service to our nation. Building on this incomparable legacy to reach a growing national and global audience, the I Like Ike campaign outlines three bold ideas:
Leverage new technologies to connect the life and leadership of this exemplary 20thcentury president to future digital generations. A new brick-and-mortar education center will transform Eisenhower’s story into an interactive platform that will share his rich legacy with the world. We have a well-planned building project complete with schematic designs by award-winning, Kansas-based architect, MultiStudio.
Convene national and global audiences around topics related to Eisenhower’s presidency, wartime leadership and character to inform and inspire them to greater achievement and service. Develop collaborative relationships and a permanent funding source that will ensure the long-term sustainability of Ike’s legacy and the Eisenhower Foundation.
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to The Sunderland Foundation and the Eisenhower Foundation’s Board of Directors whose early commitments fuel our determination to fulfill this far-reaching vision.
Meredith Sleichter Executive Director
Abilene, Kansas 67410
www.eisenhowerfoundation.net
Laura Kelly, Honorary Chair
THE GOVERNOR OF KANSAS
David Eisenhower, Chair Emeritus, Pennsylvania
Jason Thomas, Georgia
Darcy Frick Stewart, Kansas
Jock Scharfen, Virginia
Thomas Sanchez, Washington, D.C.
Nicholas Rostow, New York
Sue Peterson, Kansas
Clark S. Judge, Michigan
John R. Elmore, Kansas
Nicolas W. Platt, New Jersey
Charles R. Ewald, California
Mary Jean Eisenhower, Kansas
Michael L. Dodson, Kansas
Kevin J. Rooney, Treasurer, Kansas
Tim Holm, Secretary, Kansas
Kyle A. Campbell, Vice Chair, Kansas
Stephen B. Hauge, Chair, New Jersey
