2024 Eisenhower Society Wreath Laying and Luncheon 

This fall in Gettysburg the Dwight D. Eisenhower Society will again celebrate Ike’s legacy as General of the Army and President of the United States. On Saturday, October 12th, the Eisenhower Society will hold its annual wreath-laying ceremony at Gettysburg College beginning at noon at the Eisenhower statue in front of the college’s admissions office, 300 Carlisle Street. After a presentation of the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance by the color guard of the Allied Veterans of Adams County, several Society Trustees will present readings from the writings of General and President Eisenhower. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Scholarships will be awarded to four well-deserving Gettysburg College students. These scholarships are funded by the Eisenhower Memorial Endowment and the Robert C. Hoffman Trust. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Society Trustees will present the ROTC Leadership Award to an outstanding Gettysburg College member of the Blue Mountain Battalion of the Reserve Officers Training Corps. The actual laying of the wreath at the statue honoring Eisenhower’s 134th birthday will be presented by the Society‘s President John Burt and Chairman Dr. Walton Jones. The playing of “Taps” will conclude the twenty-minute program. Attendance at the wreath laying is open to the public and free of charge.

Afterwards, members and guests of the Society will convene in the Abigail Adams Ballroom at the historic Dobbin House restaurant, 89 Steinwehr Avenue, to enjoy a delicious repast. While enjoying coffee and dessert, attendees will be treated to an interpretive program based on original research presented by Eisenhower Society Trustee Paul M. Shevchuk. Mr. Shevchuk’s PowerPoint program is entitled “The Courtship of Ike and Mamie,” and will explore never before published details of the couple’s whirlwind romance during 1915-1916. As a young Second Lieutenant, Eisenhower first met eighteen year old Mamie Geneva Doud by chance while engaged in his first posting after graduation from West Point with the Nineteenth U.S. Infantry at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. A question-and-answer session will follow the program. 

Luncheon tickets are $35 a person or $200 for a group of six reserved seats. Click here to register online or get the registration form and mail a check to Eisenhower Society, P. O. Box 4772, Gettysburg, PA 17325. Include the names of all guests so we may make name tags for them. Please reserve early as our luncheon has sold out for the last several years. For information on sponsorships, please contact Executive Director Carol Hegeman at 717-398-2349. 

Paul Shevchuk

DDES Trustee

SAVE THE DATE

September 20-22

WWII Weekend

October 12

Eisenhower Birthday Commemoration

November 7

Giving Spree

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW IKE?

The Suez Crisis in 1956 was a Great Britain-French-Israeli invasion of Egypt with the primary objective of regaining control of the canal after it was nationalized by Egyptian President Nassar and the secondary objective of deposing Nassar. Showing strong opposition, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued a warning against invading Egypt; he also threatened to allow serious damage to” …

a. the forces under British, French and Israeli flags in the Red Sea. 



b. the British economy by not providing measures of support and alternative sources of oil after the invasion started. 

c. the public images of each country’s leader via a subversive public relations campaign.

ON... AMERICA'S VOICE

"America has either one voice or none, and that voice is the voice of the President – whether everybody agrees with him or not.”

Eisenhower and the Cold War

Robert Divine 1981

Students Visit Eisenhower Site & WWII Museum

Thanks to a grant from the Eisenhower Society, 5th grade students from McKinley and Devers Elementary Schools in York, Pennsylvania, had the opportunity to visit both the Eisenhower NHS and the new World War II American Experience Museum in Gettysburg. The York School District is a Title I district meaning that a high percentage of students are from low-income families that qualify for free or reduced lunches. The district has no funds to support field trips, so this was a wonderful opportunity for these students.

At the farm, students worked in groups to explore the Eisenhower home and grounds, going on scavenger hunts to look for items that tell the story of who the Eisenhowers were. These explorations gave an understanding of Eisenhower’s leadership and character and provided discussion opportunities about how the students might incorporate those same leadership traits into their lives today. At the World War II Museum, small groups of students had experiential learning opportunities with artifacts from the World War II era thanks to the help of the museum volunteers.

The teachers felt their students benefited from this experiential learning opportunity, and they hope to bring students in future years.

 Carol Hegeman

DDES Executive Director

Society Picnic A Resounding Success

“Unless each day can be looked back upon by an individual as one in which he has had some fun, some joy, some real satisfaction, that day is a loss.” 

Dwight D. Eisenhower 

Saturday, July 20 was certainly a day that brought fun, joy, and satisfaction, as DDES members attended the annual picnic at the Eisenhower Farm. The weather cooperated beautifully, with just enough heat and humidity to remind us it was summer. About 100 members joined the activities.

The afternoon started with Ranger tours of the Eisenhower home where some conserved artifacts and reproductions made possible by grants from the Society are on exhibit. Guests enjoyed a friendly and spirited competition at Ike’s putting green and enjoyed a Jeopardy-style game facilitated by the Eisenhower NHS’s summer interns. Park Ranger John Tuskan presented the talk, "The Eisenhowers in the City of Light" in keeping with our picnic theme of Ike and Mamie in Paris. There was also a trivia contest at each table which created an opportunity to get to know fellow dinner guests. 

After the initial festivities, guests enjoyed Angus burgers right off the grill, and pulled chicken in Ike's barbecue sauce along with all the traditional sides fit for a 1950s-era picnic, thanks to Ragged Edge Catering. Pianist Vanessa Rice provided perfect dinner music for the occasion. After dinner, vocalist Ernie Kranias joined Vanessa to sing a variety of Ike's favorite songs along with songs about Paris. There was plenty of toe tapping and hand clapping.

We would like to thank the following sponsors for supporting our picnic:

David and Cynthia Salisbury: Putting Contest Sponsors

Stephen Gibble, Dave Belcher, Ken Weiler, Daun van Ee, Bill Spracher, Ryan Woodward, Mary Lowe Mayhugh, Brian Rayment, Michael Birkner, Jim Roach, and Tom Vossler: Sponsors for Picnic Entertainment, Intern Dinners, and General Picnic Support

Duane and Linda Williams: For the wine!

We also want to recognize our Prize Sponsors:

Priscilla Roberts for two American flags that were flown at the Eisenhower National Historic Site.

Carol Hegeman for a copy of her and Michael Birkner’s book, Eisenhower’s Gettysburg Farm.

Ruthmary McIlhenny for a reproduction “Buy War Bonds” poster.

Ken Weiler for a copy of his book, Why Normandy Was Won: Operation Bagration and the War in the East 1941-1945.

Adams County Historical Society for a gift certificate to Beyond the Battle museum.

Dobbin House Tavern for a Gift Certificate.

Dairy Queen of Gettysburg for gift certificates for the “Ike and Mamie in Paris, the Olympics and Paris in Popular Culture” Trivia contest awards.

World War II American Experience Museum for complimentary tickets.

Event Network for I Like Ike mugs.

Furs by Susan for two gift certificates.

The Eisenhower Institute for the books, Citizens for Eisenhower and Voices of D-Day.

Judy Morley, Ph.D.

DDES Trustee

Thank You,

Eisenhower NHS

Interns!

In summer of 2024, the Eisenhower Society welcomed and sponsored three interns at the Eisenhower National Historic Site: Brooklyn Mercurio, Alex Rosenthal and Denver Waltman. They hailed from as far away as Alabama, Arizona and California. All three interns presented interpretive programs, created “Pop Up” programs, and gave tours of the Eisenhower home. They also assisted in writing social media posts and doing special projects to educate the public about Eisenhower. 

Being an intern is more than just learning about the Eisenhowers. It is a great learning experience for them as they work on their research and public speaking skills. The visiting public enjoys interacting with the interns and often takes time to chat with them about their experience and schooling. 

Park Guide Eva Blankenhorn noted, “We couldn't do what we do without our interns! Throughout their seasons, they've helped us develop and lead education programs, maintain daily operations, develop digital content and support special events. By working at Eisenhower NHS, they get a thorough introduction to public history and visitor services, and an opportunity to serve an ever-changing group of visitors. Through field trips and job shadowing opportunities, they also experience the broader scope of the work we do and how it relates to other fields. It's a privilege to learn alongside of such brilliant young minds, and the historians of tomorrow!” 

This fall, the Society will sponsor a fourth intern. The Eisenhower Society has been sponsoring the interns at Eisenhower National Historic Site for over 25 years.  The Society thanks donor Mary Ann Pirrello for providing funds to support these internships. Their internship work continues the mission of the Eisenhower Society to promote the knowledge and understanding of the accomplishments of Dwight D. Eisenhower.  

Ruthmary McIlhenny

DDES Vice President

Answer to Ike Trivia:

Answer: b. Historians have concluded that the Suez Crisis "signified the end of Great Britain's role as one of the world's major powers” leaving only the United States and the Soviet Union to make that claim.

Submitted by:

Lt. Col. (Ret) David Jones

DDES Trustee

Eisenhower NHS Update

As summer winds down at Eisenhower NHS, our thoughts naturally turn to World War II Weekend. Occurring every third weekend in September, this year’s event will kick off on September 20 with a special tour of the Gettysburg National Cemetery at 5 pm. A conversation with Henry Sledge, the son of famed WWII Marine Eugene Sledge, will follow at 6:30 pm at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. September 21 & 22 will feature a living history encampment, family activities, special tours (on and off site), and guest speakers. For a full list of activities and speakers, visit the WWII Weekend page on our website.

After many years and COVID delays, the Reception Center building rehabilitation finally kicked off this spring and is on schedule to be completed this fall. The construction project involved completely gutting the building and replacing wiring, plumbing, and all mechanical systems. In addition to the systems upgrades, the project provides for improved accessibility to the building and the rest of the site. A new accessible parking spot will provide easy access to the Reception Center and an accessible sidewalk will facilitate movement to the garages, guest house, and main Eisenhower home. The design of new exhibits of the Reception Center is ongoing and we hope to see them installed next spring/summer.



This summer, NPS masons and carpenters began stabilizing the remains of the Farm 2 bank barn. After the upper level of the barn was destroyed by fire in 1993, NPS staff built a temporary roof and took other measures to stabilize the remains. While the temporary roof remained sound, the siding was in poor condition. A concrete foundation wall was collapsing in the northwest corner. The 1890s stone wall on the north end of the building also required extensive refurbishing. The work these talented masons and carpenters are doing helps preserve future rehabilitation or reconstruction options should the funding one day become available. 

This year has been a season of good-byes and hellos. Alyce Evans (photo), long-time Park Guide, left for a promotion to the Volunteer Coordinator for both Gettysburg NMP and Eisenhower NHS. Fortunately, she is just over at the Facilities Offices if we need to call upon her wisdom and experience. We will welcome Archivist Jessica Walker in September to tackle more than 200 linear feet of archival material in the collection. She will be the first dedicated archivist at the site in its 44 years of operation. Philip Brown will be the new supervisory park ranger. He most recently has served as a facilities employee at Gettysburg NMP and Eisenhower NHS. He has an extensive background in interpretation and museum operations. As a result of our staffing changes, we do not yet have a set October tour schedule. We will post it to our website as soon as it’s available.



This summer we also completed several projects with financial support from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Society. A new upholstered chair graces the upstairs sitting room. A matching chair will be placed in the Guest House once maintenance work is completed on the building. 

After a multi-year absence, the sundial on the east lawn is back and looking better than ever. A rolled-up, panoramic photo of Camp Colt will once again be visible after conservation work funded by a DDES grant. In addition to these tangible projects, DDES grants funded three summer interns and supported 124 students visiting the site from York, PA. We are grateful for the ongoing support.

Jana McCabe-Freisen

Site Manager

Eisenhower NHS

Giving Spree Coming Up

Mark your calendars for November 7, 2024, to support the Dwight D. Eisenhower Society through the Adams County Community Foundation Giving Spree. For the past several years, the Society has been selected to be a part of this extraordinary day of giving where everyone in our community comes together to support local nonprofits. This year there are 100 Adams County nonprofits participating in the Giving Spree.

We are fortunate to participate in the annual Giving Spree again this year, as Adams County Community Foundation sponsors give us an “Incentive Match,” an added bonus in proportion to the amount we raise during the Giving Spree.

Whether you are a Dwight D. Eisenhower Society Board of Trustee member, current Society member or someone who wants to become a Society member, please consider making your annual contribution, renew your membership, or become a first-time member during the Giving Spree.

There are several options for making your generous contributions this year. On November 7th, you can give on-line from 12:00 AM until 11:59 PM or you can drop off a Donation Form curbside from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM in Gettysburg, Biglerville, East Berlin, Littlestown, and New Oxford. You can also choose to mail in a Donation Form to arrive no later than November 7. For specific donation sites, please go to www.adamscountycf.org.

How ever you plan to give, please ensure that you designate the Dwight D. Eisenhower Society listed as #33 on the 2024 Donor Guide and Donation Form available on the Adams County Community Foundation Website at: www.adamscountycf.org.

Thank you in advance for your continuing support and interest in the Society and participating in the Giving Spree. Your contributions ensure the timeless values of the life and legacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower march on.

Col. (Ret) John Burt

DDES President

Ike and Army Football

Now that football season is here again, it’s a good time to reflect on General Eisenhower’s love for sports, football in particular. When we think of Ike and sports, golf is usually what comes to mind. For those of us who love history, however, Ike’s athletic prowess goes back to his days as a boy growing up in Abilene, Kansas, and later as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy, from which he graduated along with fellow Army football player General Omar Bradley in 1915.

In his 1982 book Eisenhower, Alan Wykes observed that “only in games did an element of ruthlessness show itself. He played fast, tough football and baseball at high school and as a spectator was an equally efficient cheerleader.” Ike himself in his folksy book At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends, published only two years before his death, confessed, “One of my reasons for going to West Point was the hope that I could continue an athletic career. It would be difficult to overemphasize the importance that I attached to sports… In no game or practice session could the coaches claim I lacked pugnacity or combativeness, assumed to offset my lack of weight…I always played as hard as I knew how, trying to instill the fear of Eisenhower into every opponent.”

Despite being lanky and muscular due to physically demanding jobs in Abilene, Ike was assessed as too small for the Army varsity team his first year. Instead, according to Carlo D’Este in his 2002 book Eisenhower: A Soldier’s Life, he played on the so-called Cullum Hall team, a junior varsity squad created several years earlier. Ike did earn a place on the varsity baseball team, but since the coach disliked his hitting style he never played in a single game. Overall, Eisenhower’s athletic prospects during plebe year (1911-12) were dismal, but he bulked up in the mess hall and through strenuous workouts in the gym in an effort to make the varsity football team. His hustle, intensity, and “love for hard bodily contact” made a good impression on the head coach. The trainer, SGT Marty Maher, who spent 55 years at West Point, described how “Ike was the first cadet on the field for football practice and the very last to leave. I used to curse him because he would practice so late that I would be collecting footballs he had kicked away in the darkness.”

Despite starting the 1912 season as a substitute, Dwight (fourth from left with Bradley on far right in above photo) was soon promoted to varsity and played five games as a linebacker on defense and running back on offense, including against the legendary Jim Thorpe team, later an Olympic gold medalist in decathlon and pentathlon. Sadly, Ike’s playing career ended abruptly in a game against Tufts University. While being tackled, he severely twisted his knee, later explaining, “I could feel something rip although it didn’t particularly hurt.” After several more plays he fell to the ground without being hit. “I couldn’t get up, so they took me off the field, and I never got back on as a player again.” He soon reinjured the knee during equestrian training in the riding hall and was unavailable to play in the Army-Navy game, a bitter disappointment. General Douglas Kinnard, in his centennial book Ike 1890-1990: A Pictorial History, observed, “His athletic horizons—his raison d’etre—were so limited now that he contemplated quitting the Military Academy. But he pursued his studies in stoic acceptance of his fate.”

Ike’s knee injury never healed properly and would bother him off and on for the rest of his life. Still, he was able to remain close to his beloved football team by becoming Army’s head cheerleader in 1914-15. The coach was so impressed with Ike’s grasp of football strategy that he encouraged him to take charge of the Cullum Hall junior varsity team, which he did successfully. Even though his playing time was cut short, he still earned the coveted letter “A” after the 1912 season.

Ike confessed in his 1967 book, “Athletes take a certain amount of kidding, especially from those who think it is always brawn versus brains. But I noted with real satisfaction how well ex-footballers seemed to have leadership qualifications and it wasn’t sentiment that made it seem so… I believe that football, perhaps more than any other sport, tends to instill in men the feeling that victory comes through hard—almost slavish—work, team play, self-confidence, and an enthusiasm that amounts to dedication.”

Dr. Bill Spracher

DDES Trustee

Age and the Presidency

This year, 2024, is not the first time that a potential candidate’s age has factored into a presidential election. Dwight D. Eisenhower, in his memoir Mandate for Change (p. 566), has told of his concern that, if elected in 1952 (as indeed he was), he would be taking office at the age of 62—the fourth oldest man to assume the office up to then. (Of the three older men, two—William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor—had died before their terms were even half over; the third, James Buchanan, had not served a second term.)



In 1955 Ike once more had to deal with time’s inevitable march as his supporters pressured him to run again. Eisenhower, who would soon face the first of two serious first-term illnesses, was reluctant. In a remarkable private letter (August 15, 1955) to his boyhood friend Everett (“Swede”) Hazlett, he candidly explained why. Agreeing with Hazlett that age was “a relative rather than an absolute matter,” Ike nonetheless worried about the possibility of cognitive decline. He wrote, “the last person to recognize that a man’s mental faculties are fading is the victim himself.” Eisenhower had “seen many a man ‘hang on too long’ under the definite impression that he had a great duty to perform and that no one else could adequately fill his particular position.” With the great burdens of the presidency in mind, Ike concluded: “The more important and demanding the position, the greater the danger in this regard.”

In 1956 however, President Eisenhower eventually allowed himself to be persuaded to run for a second (and, thanks to the 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, final) term. After a landslide victory, he began serious discussions about providing for presidential inability or disability, discussions that would ultimately result in the 25th Amendment to the Constitution (ratified in 1967). One question that arose during these early considerations was the identity of the group or individual who would decide whether the president was capable of carrying out or resuming his duties. Eisenhower thought that only the president himself could make that decision, reasoning that if the chief executive “should insist upon retaining his office when he was manifestly incapable of doing so, he would be certain to do things that would expose him to impeachment proceedings” (letter to Milton Katz, April 9, 1957). The 25th Amendment, however, would provide otherwise.

Eisenhower left office in 1961, at the age of 70. He was then the oldest person ever to occupy the White House—a distinction that has since been lost (Presidents Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, and Joseph Biden were, and are, older). He had survived three health scares—a heart attack in 1955, ileitis in 1956, and a stroke in 1957—but by most informed accounts suffered no significant diminution or impairment of mental ability.

Dr. Daun van Ee

DDES Trustee