After having to postpone its unveiling due to the pandemic, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial is finally opening on Thursday, September 17.
The wait is finally over, after 21 years and a pandemic the Eisenhower Memorial will be opening Thursday, September 17 on Maryland Avenue. While the unveiling was originally meant to take place earlier in May during V-E Day, it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
First commissioned by Congress in 1999, the memorial was designed by renown architect Frank Ghery and features two sets of statues celebrating the president’s achievements during WWII and his time in the Oval Office.
“I am proud to honor Kansas’ favorite son with the unveiling of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. This memorial pays tribute to Ike’s historic leadership as both Supreme Allied Commander and the 34th President of the United States, who hailed from Abilene, Kansas,” said Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, in a press release. “The Eisenhower Memorial not only commemorates the life and legacy of an extraordinary man; it also stands as a symbol for all generations of the promise of America and what our values make possible here and around the world.”
The dedication ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 17, at 7 pm. In-person attendance will be by invitation-only, but the event will be livestreamed on Facebook so all those interested can still watch it online.
See also: The Smithsonian Will Be Reopening Four Museums This Friday
[Featured image: Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial via Facebook]