Fact in paying tribute to Dwight Eisenhower, we celebrate greatness. When we think of his place in history, we think inevitably of the other giants of those days of world war ii. And we think of the qualities of greatness and what his work that made his unique among all. Once, perhaps without intending to do so, he himself put his finger on it. It was 1945, shortly after veday at a ceremony in londons historic hall. The triumphant Supreme Commander of the allied forces in europe was officially given the freedom of the city of london. In an address that day, Dwight Eisenhower said, i come from the heart of america. He did come from the heart of america. Not only from its geographical heart, but from its spiritual heart. Dwight eisenhower touched something fundamental in america, which only a man of immense force of mind and spirit could have brought so vibrantly alive. He was the product of americas soil and ideals, driven by a compulsion to do right and to do well. A man of deep faith who believed in god and trusted in his wealth. A man who truly loved his country, and for whom words like freedom and democracy were not cliche. He exemplified what millions of parents hope that their sons would be. Strong and courageous and honest and compassionate. And with his own great qualities at heart, he personified the best in america. His great love of people was rooted in his faith. He had a deep faith in the goodness of god and the essential goodness of man as a creature of god. It is, i think, a special tribute to Dwight Eisenhower that despite all of his honors, despite all of his great deeds and his triumphs, we find ourselves today thinking first not of his deeds, but of his character. Dwight eisenhower was that rarest of men. An authentic hero. Wars bring the names of many men into the headlines, and of those, some few become national or Even International heroes. But as the years then pass, their fame goes down, but not so with Dwight Eisenhower. As the years passed, his stature grew. Commander of the mightiest Expeditionary Force ever assembled, receiver of the surrender of the german armies in world war ii, president of columbia university, Supreme Commander of nato, 34th president of the United States, the honors, the offices were there in abundance. Every trust the American People had in their power to bestow, he was given. [sounds of marching] [playing of hail to the chief] each of us here will have a special memory of Dwight Eisenhower. I can see him now standing erect, straight, proud, and tall. 16 years ago, as he took the oath of office as the 34th president of the United States of america. And yet, he always retained a saving humility. His was the humility not of fear, but of confidence. He walked with the great of the world and he knew that the greater human. His was the humility of man before god and before the truth. His was the humility of a man too proud to be arrogant. He restored calm to a divided nation. He gave americans a new measure of selfrespect. He invested his office with dignity and respect and trust. He made americans proud of their president. Proud of their country. Proud of themselves. And if we in america were proud of Dwight Eisenhower, it was partly because he made us proud of america. He came from the heart of america and he gave expression to the heart of america and he touched the hearts of the world. Many leaders are known and respected outside their own countries. Very few are loved outside their own countries. Dwight eisenhower was one of those few. He was probably loved by more people in more parts of the world than any president america has ever had. He captured the deepest feelings of free men everywhere. Some men are considered great because they lead great armies or they lead powerful nations. For eight years now, Dwight Eisenhower had neither commanded an army or led a nation. And yet, he remained through his final days the worlds most admired and respected man, truly the First Citizen of the world. So today, we render our final salute. It is a fond salute to a man we loved and cherished. It is a grateful salute to a man whose whole extraordinary life was dedicated to service. It is a profoundly respectful salute to a man largerthanlife, who, by any standard, was one of the giants of our time. His life reminds us that there is a moral force in this world more powerful than the might of arms or the wealth of nations. This man, who led the most powerful armies of the world has ever seen, this man, who led the most powerful nation in the world, this essentially good and kind and gentle man that moral force was his greatness. [cannons firing] [applause] for a quarter of a century, to the very end of his life, Dwight Eisenhower exercised a moral Authority Without parallel in america and in the world. And america and the world is better because of it. I know mrs. Eisenhower would permit me to share with you the last words he spoke on the day he died. He said, ive always loved my wife. Ive always loved my children. Ive always loved my grandchildren. And i have always loved my country. That was Dwight Eisenhower. You can watch archival films on Public Affairs in their entirety on our weekly series reel america. Tv. On American History watching on American History tv, exploring our past every weekend on cspan three. We are looking back to this date in history. A difficult moment for america. I will be going back to washington after my remarks, the secretary and lieutenant will take the podium to discuss education. I want to thank the folks here at the Booker Elementary School for their hospitality. We have had a national tragedy. Crashed into have the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country. I have spoken to the Vice President , to the governor of new york, to the director of the fbi, and ordered that the resources of the federal government go to help the andims and their families to conduct a fullscale investigation to hunt down and to find those folks who committed this act. Terrorism against our nation will not stand. Now, if you join me in a moment of silence. May god bless the victims, their families, and america. Thank you very much. [applause] follow us on social media at cspan history for more of this day in history clips and posts. Good morning. Im one of the volunteers here at the Army Heritage and