Last updated: April 12, 2021
Place
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial: The Young Man
Eisenhower Memorial Commission
Quick Facts
Amenities
6 listed
Benches/Seating, Bicycle - Sharing Station, Bus/Shuttle Stop, Food/Drink - Restaurant/Table Service, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information
On a pedestal at the northwest plaza entrance, a life-size sculpture of Eisenhower as a young man depicts the trajectory of his life as the quintessential American story. Inscribed in stone nearby is an excerpt from Eisenhower's Abilene Homecoming Speech on June 22, 1945.
Before Eisenhower was a general or a president, he was a “barefoot boy” in Abilene who dreamed about his future. A strong family and community raised him. Dwight’s parents, David and Ida, structured family life around religion, school, as well as hard work on the farm and creamery. As a result, he became a good student, worker, athlete, and general. In June 1945, Eisenhower returned to his hometown as not the leader of the forces that helped to defeat Nazi Germany but as another citizen who was proud of the values that he learned from the people there.
Before Eisenhower was a general or a president, he was a “barefoot boy” in Abilene who dreamed about his future. A strong family and community raised him. Dwight’s parents, David and Ida, structured family life around religion, school, as well as hard work on the farm and creamery. As a result, he became a good student, worker, athlete, and general. In June 1945, Eisenhower returned to his hometown as not the leader of the forces that helped to defeat Nazi Germany but as another citizen who was proud of the values that he learned from the people there.