Eisenhower's Family Objects to Memorial Design

Newser ^ | Feb 7 2012 | John Johnson

[WilliamIII]

A memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower is scheduled to be unveiled on the Washington Mall in 2015, but first a thorny dispute needs to be resolved between Eisenhower's family and renowned architect Frank Gehry. Ike's relatives think Gehry's design—which features a statue of Eisenhower as boy in Kansas looking out on vistas of his future accomplishments—as a country bumpkin. They are demanding changes before the project moves forward, and Gehry has yet to comment publicly, notes the New York Times. (The AP had a similar story last month.)

“He was chief of staff of the Army; he was a two-term president of the United States,” says a granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower. “It’s in those roles that America has gratitude for him, not as being a young boy with a great future in front of him.” The National Capital Planning Commission, which must sign off on the design, has received a letter from the relatives and said only that it "appreciates the comments provided by the Eisenhower family." Groundbreaking is scheduled to start this year.

[stylin19a]

Hap Arnold 5 star for 2 different branches.

[MrBambaLaMamba]

Fleet Admirals of the United States Navy:

William Leahy
Ernest King
Chester Nimitz
William Halsey

[Texas Gal]

David was king of the Israelites but Michaelangelo got away with portraying him as a naked dude

[redhead]

If I remember correctly, Ike was America’s first 5-Star General.

[redhead]

I stand corrected. See post above. Still love the idea of a 5-star General, though.

[matthew fuller]

The Navy’s Fleet Admirals were:
William Daniel Leahy
Ernest Joseph King
Chester William Nimitz
William Frederick Halsey, Jr.
(This information is extracted from the Naval Historical Foundation’s booklet Fleet Admirals, U.S. Navy.)

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq36-1.htm

[Last of the Mohicans]

The small white figure way in the distance is the proposed statue, made of white fiberglass rather than bronze.

[D-fendr]

Here’s a website dedicated to opposing the statue and the memorial, for the reasons they list... here:

http://www.eisenhowermemorial.net/national-civic-art-society-report-frank-gehrys-eisenhower-memorial

[Charles Martel]

(No war with the Soviets) happened during his presidency. That is his legacy. Eishenhower loathed and despised war. Eisenhower did understand what war is and what is today.

This 1963 photo from the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, amply underscores the truth of that...

Poignant, to say the least.

[jimnm]

Plus MLK’s family was paid.

This design minimizes Eisenhower’s accomplishments.

[drew]

Agreed. I think his buildings are fugly. The Disney Concert Hall in LA is an eyesore.

[Joe 6-pack]

After Ike retired to his Gettysburg farm, he established a relationship with Gettysburg College. There's a very casual, yet respectful statue of Ike on campus...

[maine-iac7]

Thanks for the link -
Good gravy, it’s deplorable - and in white fiberglass!
And for an astronomical amount of money. Who does he know?

Time for these memorials, paid for by US, be in contest form. Let all artists who want submit a design, pick 4-6 best ones and then let the public, whose money pays for it, pick the winner.

Let’s support Ike and his family and comment on the site AGAINST this insult.

http://www.eisenhowermemorial.net/national-civic-art-society-report-frank-gehrys-eisenhower-memorial#comment-355

[maine-iac7]

This is little better than Winston Churchill being eliminated from school book in the UK - kids there are growing up today not even knowing he existed.

Seems like this is just dismissing what Ike did - People, especially young people, will pass by with nary a thought as to who it is and what he did - and how we should all be thankful we aren’t speaking German today.

And another great man is wiped from history.

[Billk]

I agree with with the family , they are the ones that make the decision on what should be done , AND NO ONE ELSE. PERIOD.

[Billk]

Wrong , Marshall was the first in ww2 .

[ConorMacNessa]

Yes! I have that photo but can’t post it now - on my phone. Addressing the Screaming Eagles. That’s the one!

[dr_lew]

What’s next? A statue of Reagan in a baby cradle saying a few coos and gurgles that presage his future great oratorical skills?

You know, Hercules performed his first feat in the cradle. He strangled two snakes, one in each hand, that a jealous Hera had sent to kill Hercules and his brother. Maybe they could use that.

[Talisker]

Honestly, the building design looks very classy and extremely restrained for Frank Gehry. As for he country bumpkin statue, can’t judge something I can’t see, but I can at least say that he did start out as a boy from Kansas and was not always the a general or president. If the boy from Kansas was the only image of Eisenhower in the memorial I’d agree. But at this point I don’t see the problem.

Honestly, I think you're a shill.

And a pretty insidious one at that.

[dr_lew]

By all means then, let’s have a naked Ike.