Images and More: Passed Presidents - # 34

It was 2008. I had been to Grand Rapids to see Gerald Ford in April and flew to Buffalo in May to visit Millard Fillmore. There were two presidents left but they were remote and distant. How was I going to get to Ike in central Kansas and LBJ in the Texas hill country? Why couldn’t Ike be buried near his farm in Gettysburg, less than an hour away? Flying and renting cars seemed so limiting and expensive.

Then it hit me. What the Hey! I’m retired. My time is my own. Becky is understanding and encouraging. Plus, what better way to end one quest than to begin another? I piled gear into the trusty SUV and began a 4900-mile road trip that ended the Dead Presidents Quest and formally kicked off the State Capitol Odyssey. In 24 days, I found Ike and LBJ, added eleven state houses to the collection AND saw friends and family along the way. Under the heading of, “Timing is Everything”, the big downside in June 2008 was the sad energy scene and the $4.00/gallon gasoline. It was not a cheap trip.

The Eisenhower Family Home, Abilene, KS (12 June 2008)

Nostalgic, older Americans fondly remember the Eisenhower years. Dwight David Eisenhower presided over two terms of post-war prosperity. Fueled by the GI Bill and union labor, the middle class became a prominent American population segment. It was the time of Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best...Elvis and Disneyland.

After the Great Depression and WW II, we deserved a break and Ike was the perfect front man for the job. He was a national hero who was courted by both parties to run for president. He decided to run as a Republican and easily won both elections. He and Zachary Taylor [# 12] are the only presidents who never held any other elected or appointed office. Ike died 45 years ago today and is buried at the Eisenhower Center in Abilene, Kansas. The Center includes a visitor center, his family home, a museum, library and chapel where he and Mamie are interred.

The Eisenhower Presidential Museum, Abilene, KS (12 June 2008)

The Eisenhower Family settled in Kansas. He was born in Texas during a brief time his parents were there looking for better work, but he grew up in Abilene. His family belonged to the River Brethren Mennonite sect. Like Quakers, their beliefs include pacifism. His mother was not pleased when he went off to West Point.

Ike and Mamie on their Wedding Day in 1916

Her given name was Mary. She came from a well-off family

and was a dutiful military wife who relocated frequently and

lived in some trying places. They did not own a home

until retiring to the Gettysburg farm after he left office.

Ike thrived at the Academy and was part of the famous Class of 1915...”The Class the Stars Fell On” where 59 of the 164 graduates went on to become generals. Twenty six years later, in 1941, he had risen to the rank of colonel. He expected to end his army career at that rank but the Second World War changed all that. After leading the allied forces in Europe to victory over Nazi Germany, he was a 5-star general.

The Place of Meditation, Eisenhower Center,

Abilene, KS (12 June 2008)

Inside are the graves of Ike, Mamie and their first-born son,

Doud Dwight, who died of scarlet fever at age four.

When Ike was president, the French were thrown out of Viet Nam and Castro took over Cuba. It was Ike who first coined the term ‘domino theory’ to describe the Communist threat in Southeast Asia and Latin America. The Hungarian Revolution was violently suppressed, Senator Joe McCarthy was trying to expose Communists in high places and the Russian Sputnik satellite scared us into creating NASA and entering the Space Race.

I was a boy during the Eisenhower years and they were heady, impressionable times. The Cold War was its most intense. Russia and America tested hydrogen bombs in the open. I did the ‘duck and cover’ drill in school and wore dog tags with my name and address stamped in the metal. They didn’t tell me that the Commies might drop the Big One on New York and the cool dog tags were there so they could identify the little ash pile that used to be me. All in all, nostalgia for the ‘good old days’ is not always what comes to mind.

A Personal Cold War Memento

Still, I think Ike was a good guy. He was a straight shooter whose military experience demonstrated exceptional skills that are celebrated in today’s leaders. He delegated, worked well with difficult personalities and reached consensus. He also warned us to guard against the growing influence of the military-industrial complex. The hero of ‘The Last Good War’ cautioned us but I’m not so sure we listened very well.