Partisanship on those changes. That starts tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Enjoy American History tv this week and every weekend on cspan3. Causes my mind to go back to the truth we learned at home, beliefs would shake my paths and their guidance of their children. Love of god, fairness in human relations, independence, and responsibility concern for the welfare of others and conviction that each free individual could, through his own efforts, achieve a full life. It is a firm duty of each of our free citizens to make the cause of his country before the comforts of himself. We must be ready to dare all for our country, for history does not trust the freedom to the weak, we must be willing individually and as a nation to accept whatever sacrifices may be required of us. A people that values its privileges above its principles. These men came here to storm these beaches, not to gain anything for ourselves, but just to preserve freedom, systems of selfgovernment in the world. Many thousands died for ideals such as these. But these people gave us a chance and they bought time for us so we make it better than we have. We must find a way to gain an eternal peace with this world. You and i, my fellow citizens, need to be strong in our faith, that all nations under god will reach the goal of peace with justice. We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations may have their great human needs satisfied. In the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of Mutual Respect and love. Good evening, and welcome to the dedication ceremony for the dwight d. Eisenhower memorial. For everyones health and safety, please exercise safe social distancing and ensure that your masks remain on when you are not eating or drinking. To begin our program, were honored to be joined by the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division as they were with general eisenhower the night before d day, to present tonights colors. They will be accompanied by the president s own u. S. Marine band. The National Anthem will be performed by voices of service who will then be followed by kansas own rachel mast who will honor our flag with her rendition of the pledge of allegiance. Please rise for the presentation of colors and please remain standing for the National Anthem and the pledge of allegiance. O say, can you see by the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming . Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming . And the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh, say, does that starspangled banner yet wave oer the land of the free and the home of the brave . [ applause ] i pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you to the 177th fighter wing from the new Jersey National guard for providing flyover coverage for this evenings ceremony. To give tonights invocation, were pleased to have with us u. S. Senate chaplain barry c. Black. Chaplain black served in the u. S. Navy for over 27 years and completed his distinguished military career as the chief of navy chaplains. In june 2003, rear admiral upper half barry black was elected to serve as the 67th chaplain of the United States senate and has been in that role ever since. Here is chaplain black. You may be seated. Let us pray. Oh, lord, the light of lights, how majestic is your name in all the earth . We marvel that you care about humanity and have crowned us with glory and honor. Today accept our gratitude for the life and legacy of president Dwight David Eisenhower who more than self his country loved and mercy more than life. We praise you that his love for freedom summoned our nation to embrace our best hopes. Thank you, mighty god, for his ability to plant seeds of confidence, to build bridges that helped bring unity to a divided nation and world. May this memorial dedication remind us of americas opportunity to continue to strive to create a more Perfect Union where justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. Lord, give us the grace to love what you command and to desire what you have promised. Grant that guided by your light we may reach the light that never fades, that ill lumened by your truth that we may reach the truth that is complete. Bless this evening, our food, fellowship, reflections, and inspiration, we pray in your sovereign name, amen. To recognize those who made this memorial possible and to acknowledge tonights attendees, please welcome the vice chairman of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission and the representative of californias fifth congressional district, mike thompson. Good evening. Im congressman mike thompson. Thank you for joining us today to celebrate one of our countrys greatest leaders. Whether youre here in person or watching online, youre taking part in a unique tradition. This will be only the 7th president ial memorial to be built in washington, d. C. Congress past the bill creating the eisenhower memorial while president bill clinton was in office. Today, two decades later, were gathered to dedicate this memorial and recognize a lifetime of Public Service. This ceremony, this memorial, would not be possible if it were not for the 12member commission. Let me recognize my colleagues on the commission who gave their time and energy to establish the dwight d. Eisenhower memorial. Please stand when you hear your name. The chairman senator pat roberts of kansas. [ applause ] senator joe manchin of west virginia. [ applause ] senator gary peters of michigan. Senator dan sullivan of alaska. Congressman Sanford Bishop of georgias second district, congressman mike simpson of idahos second district. Congressman Matt Thornberry of texas 13th district. Former kansas senator bob dole. [ applause ] Commission Member alford judolic. Commission member susan barns harris. And Commission Member Catherine Ann stevens. Thank you all for your leadership and your devotion to this magnificent project. I would like to acknowledge a few other people who are with us this evening. Secretary of interior, David Bernhardt. Secretary of transportation, elaine chao, and secretary of education, betsy devos. Your respective departments all hold important pieces of president eisenhowers legacy. Thank you for joining us to celebrate this occasion. And thank you to secretary devos and the Education Department housed in the building directly behind me for being such gracious neighbors throughout the construction process. Thank you Speaker Nancy Pelosi for taking part in tonights dedication and for your personal attention helping to make this memorial a reality. Were grateful that youre here and for all that you have done over the years for this important project. I would also like to thank the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general mark milley, for being with us today. Thank you, general. Also i want to recognize Brigadier General robert fullford who is representing the marine corps. And colonel who is representing the 101st Airborne Division. Thank you both for being here. Were also grateful to have the ambassador of the republic of china and deputy chief of mission from italy with us tonight. Thank you for representing your beautiful nations and the support you have shown for this memorial. I would also like to recognize tomas osinski. He is the architect who created the incredible tapestry you see behind me. [ applause ] this one of a kind piece displays the iconic normandy coastline in peacetime which general eisenhowers troops invaded on dday. Standing at 80 feet high and 450 feet long, there is not another tapestry like this anywhere in the world. Tomas, thank you for your incredible work. [ applause ] i also want to recognize the Senior Leadership from Clark Construction who are here with us. Randy seewald, david snorf, and jared olbroy. Thank you for your dedication to completing this fantastic memorial. I want to recognize president eisenhowers great grandson and greatgreat grandchildren who are representing the eisenhower family. We have merle atwater, a great grandson of the president as well. Were honored to have you on this special day. Serving on this commission to memorialize a truly Great American hero has been a tremendous honor. Thank you very much. [ applause ] to make a special recognition, please welcome the host of fullcourt press and voice of americas plugged in, greta van susteren. [ applause ] good evening. Just to start, if you think this weather is rough, i bet just think of what it was like on the English Channel back in 1944. This weather is nothing like what members of our military did for us. This is a great night tonight. We honor general eisenhower, his spectacular military career and im sure that senator bob dole would want me to mention some of the generals accomplishments. Without his service, this nation, the world, would be a very different place. The general of course didnt stop with the military career which youre going to hear much about tonight. Like others, many from world war ii went onto serve this nation in other capacities. He became president and as president , general eisenhower, did incredible things. In 1956 the president eisenhower championed the formation of the interstate highway system. Look where that took us all. All across the great nation. In 1958, president eisenhower established nasa, the space Agency Responsible for the space program. Look where it took us, to the moon. And when racial segregation was struck down in schools and one Arkansas School district defied the law, it was president eisenhower who sent in federal troops to uphold the Supreme Court decision fighting segregation. He led us in war and as president and he led us through years of no war, of fairness and prosperity. Which brings me to another world war ii vet. Robert dole. And with it comes a personal story. This story doesnt go back to world war ii. Thats before i was born. But it goes back to april 2004. The night before the opening of the world war ii memorial just down the street. I was doing a live show that night next to the memorial celebrating the fact that the following day, that memorial would be dedicated. I had the perfect guests that night. Senator robert dole. Famous for not only being a member of congress and Senate Majority leader from kansas, but as a quiet hero himself. He enlisted in the early years of world war ii and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant before shipping off to italy. While in italy, in april of 1945, he was seriously wounded by german machine gunfire as he attempted to rescue a radio man during an assault on an enemy position. It has been reported that his fellow soldiers upon seeing the extent of his injuries thought that all they could do was to give him the largest dose of morphine they dared and write m on his forehead so nobody else who found him would give him a second fatal dose. His chances of living were slim. But he didnt give up. He never has. And he beat overwhelming odds while spending many years in a military hospital. For his military service to his nation, to all of us, dole was decorated three times, two purple hearts for his injuries and the bronze star with valor for his attempt to assist a downed radio man. In 2019, i was horrified, embarrassed because as i was sitting there next to him, talking to him about the memorial, world war ii, i said to him, how did this come about . And he said, world war ii veterans lobbied congress for the land, and world war ii veterans raised the money. I was horrified. My generation which reaped all of the benefits of all the sacrifices of general eisenhower and all of the world war ii vets had not raised the money for that monument when were the ones who owed a great thanks to him and everyone else who fought there. We know without general eisenhower and all of the others who served this would be a very different world. How noble they were, fighting for ideals and upon winning the war, not taking one square foot of land and in the end rebuilding the nations that were host to the war. My conversation with senator dole did not stop with the world war ii memorial. When he told me that the project was under way to build this memorial, something that he and senator roberts of kansas wanted to do, i thought, you know, i need to be part of this in some way and of course thats what brings all of us here tonight, to this dedication of this memorial to general eisenhower and i just want to say, spiking tonight about general eisenhower is a great honor and its also a great honor to be here tonight to thank all of the world war ii vets, all of the current people serving in uniform, and they all helped us get here. This memorial general eisenhower is a great inspiration, a great reminder to all america and to all of the great things our nation does and all of the great leaders who led us here. A special thanks to senator roberts, to senator dole, and for everyone else who has participated in this project so we can continue to remind ourselves of what we can do. Here is senator dole. Im sorry i cannot be with you this evening as you honor a Great American, Dwight David Eisenhower. He was a wonderful man. He was honest. He was sincere. He had an integrity. He was divisive and he spent much of his time in world war ii trying to reconcile the british and the french and the americans. But he did it with expertise. He kept everybody on board and because of his brilliant approach, we won world war ii and then eisenhower moved on and became a Great American president. Eight years of peace and prosperity and they made many, many tough decisions. So im very proud to be from kansas. And im really proud to call general eisenhower, president eisenhower, major eisenhower, whatever, my hero. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome bret baier chief Political Correspondent for fox news. [ applause ] good evening. Im bret baier. Wasnt that wonderful to hear from senator dole tonight . Its a true honor to be here. Obviously, senator dole, a true american hero, Public Servant. My day job is to cover the news across the u. S. And around the world. But im also a huge fan of general eisenhower, our 34th president. So much so i wrote a book about him three days in january, Dwight Eisenhowers final mission. And the thing i loved about ike was what has made him so beloved to this day, to generations like mine and younger, who werent around during his era. How he was perfectly reflecting the american ideal. He was an ordinary man who answered the call to perform extraordinary duties and deeds. When the war was over, he was humble about it. He realized that his fame was earned as he put it in the blood of his followers and the sacrifices of his friends. Called to serve once more as president , he was fully aware of his shortcomings. He was a soldier, not a political animal, not a politician, but he was always trusted and he always trusted the American People to be smarter even than their leaders and his own personal code was to associate with and learn from people who knew more than he did. Throughout his life, eisenhower maintained the manner of the scrappy kid from kansas. And you see that here in this memorial. He knew that what made America Great was not its psuperiority with our Weapons Systems or dominance of our economy, as he liked to say, what counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. This is a really special event. Were sorry its raining. But it doesnt take away from this moment. I know i can speak on behalf of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission and say this ceremony would not be the same if it were not for all of you here tonight and all that youve done. Whether youre here in person or watching on cspan or streaming online. Thank you for coming, thank you for watching and recognizing americas stream commander during world war ii and her 34th president. One quick reminder, obviously, for everyone to keep social distancing, health and safety, we do ask the attendees to practice that and to keep your masks on during the event when youre not eating or drinking. Our next speaker is a world renowned architect whose works including the gugenhiem museum, the art gallery of ontario and many other prestigious buildings around the world. In 1957 he completed his first professional design, his own house, in california, which he worked on, actually, as an apprentice. And his most recent is this, the dwight d. Eisenhower memorial. His first design for a public project. Unfortunately he is unable to join us tonight in person. But he did provide a recorded greeting. So please welcome frank gehry. Im so greatly honored to be part of this memorial in washington, d. C. To prepare for this formidable task, i studied everything, i Read Everything that i could find on his accomplishments. And they were vast. What a legacy. At first glance the site wasnt or didnt seem great. Surrounded by traffic and office buildings. But that was it. With the help of many starting with words of encouragement and support members of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, led by pat senator pat roberts, we got it done. There was sensitivities expressed by many including the eisenhower. We listened to all and the result is better. For my life, this is one of my proudest moments and i only regret that i cant be there to enjoy this with you. Directed by colonel jason fatigue, please welcome the United States marine band and their rendition of song of the marching man an arrangement performed by the band at both the 1953 and 1957 inaugurations for president eisenhower. [ applause ] the president s own marine band sounds good in any weather. Tonights event would not be possible without our next speaker. U. S. Senator pat roberts is a native kansan and has been with the Eisenhower Memorial Commission since its inception in 2001. As the senior u. S. Senator of ikes home state, it is only fitting that senator roberts join the effort to build a memorial to honor one of kansas favorite sons when he took on the role of chairman in 2015. Throughout his life, the senator has devoted himself to the citizens of kansas and on a national level, has been a congressional leader in the sectors of agriculture, health care and defense. Most importantly, senator roberts is a man of character and that is best shown through his ability to have balanced his lifelong career as a Public Servant as well as a steady devotion to his family. Together, he and his wife of over 50 years, frankie, have three children and seven grandchildren. Were grateful for his service to our country, for his leadership with the eisenhower commission, and for being here to speak with us tonight, live, rain or no rain. I present to you senator pat roberts. [ applause ] as an eisenhower author yourself, i know that you share our enthusiasm for his legacy and we appreciate you so much. As greta pointed out, this is dday. As ike said at the 101st, okay, lets go. Here we go. Greetings to all of our guests here tonight and to those of you watching. Now, we wish we could all be together in person to celebrate the completion of this magnificent memorial. However, the legacy of dwight d. Eisenhower cannot be constrained by the size of the crowd because it is reflected in the freedoms that we live every day in america. The memorial designer, frank gehry, and his partners unfortunately are unable to join us tonight, but if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that you dont have to be in the same place together. So, frank, i know you and your team are watching, the brilliance of this memorial will reverberate around the world and lift the legacy of dwight d. Eisenhower to unending global audiences. Tonight as we dedicate this memorial, we stand on the shoulders of some giants who made it possible. Senators ted stevens, senator Lisa Murkowski who kept this whole effort alive through her great support. At any rate, we couldnt have done this without you, lisa, and i really appreciate it. I also want to thank my fellow commissioners who allowed us to conduct our business in the supported bipartisan way, truly in the image of the man that we honor tonight. And i want to thank one commissioner in particular and hes already been thanked and deservedly so, and that is bob dole. A man who fought bravely on the battlefields in italy under ikes command. Although gravely wounded, he fought both he fought his way back to both health and strength. And a wonderful career in the United States senate. He applied that same tenacity of spirit to fundraising on behalf of this memorial because of his tireless efforts, the remaining heroes of the greatest generation can now come here and finally, finally, salute their commanding officer. Needless to say, we would not be here today without the guiding influence of the eisenhower family. I would like to recognize now David Eisenhower and his wife Julie Nixon Eisenhower who are with us tonight. I cant see you, but hopefully others will. Thank you for coming. David is a renowned author in his own right. David and susan, mary jean, because of your valued input, we have a fitting memorial to your beloved grandfather. Now, we persevered and then we persevered, and then we persevered. And then we got it right. Wow. Thank you to the eisenhower family. I want to thank our donors, some of whom are here tonight. Because of you, this memorial is complete. Donations came come in all sizes and were grateful for every one of them. I would like to extend a special recognition for one donor in particular, a teacher at an Elementary School in east toledo, ohio, back in 2012, in honor of verpts dterans day, ths pitched in their quarters and nickels and dimes so they could support their memorial to ike. Thank you for teaching Young Americans the importance of giving back to their community and their country as well as r their heritage. Thank you. [ applause ] as i senator, i always say youre only as good as your staff, and that applies to this project. They deserve our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for their unwavering focus on building this memorial. Carl, queen victoria, dan, ed, shannon, trace, joyce, chris, we thank you. [ applause ] and from my own staff, im going to take a little license here, two women in particular i would like to thank, one of whom is has been with me, worked with me during the long years of preserving the opportunity to have this memorial. Its not easy going to the house appropriate raters and going in on one knee as a senator, but thats what we had to do. And the other shares in the success of bringing this to fruition, thank you for your creative thinking, your loyalty and your diligence. Ladies and gentlemen, i have just been told right now that we have a message coming from cyberspace. Right now i direct your attention to the monitors, please. Good evening, senator roberts and honored guests. Im chris cassie, commander of the International Space station. Along with our nasa administer, im honored to join you in celebrating the memorial dedication of our nations 34th president , dwight d. Eisenhower. Under president eisenhowers leadership, america created nasa, which brought our country to the forefront of space exploration. President eisenhower understood what nasa could do for america as he provided the vision for the Amazing Things we do in human and Robotic Exploration today which benefit all human kind back on earth. President eisenhowers voice on the first broadcast from space in 1958 was the beginning of what is now part of our daytoday life as we approach the 20th century of a permanent human presence right here on the International Space station. Senator roberts, i congratulate the Eisenhower Memorial Commission and this dedication as a lasting tribute to a Great American hero, a patriot, and a president. All of the best to you from us on the International Space station. Take care. [ applause ] thank you, chris cassidy, and the team at nasa for making that possible. Yet, another eisenhower achievement. Now before the pandemic, the dedication was to be on may 8th. The 75th anniversary of ve day. Certainly an anniversary with worldwide significance. But i want you to note that today, september 17, is an anniversary of Truly American origins. On this day in 1787, after debate and compromise, our constitution was signed in philadelphia. Later it also became as citizenship day. What would ikes message about citizenship be to us now . Duty before country was eisenhowers creed. In his reflections on the first day at west point he said, when we raise our right hands and repeated the official oath, a feeling came over me that the expression the United States of america would now and enforce mean Something Different than it ever had before. From here on, it would be the nation i would be serving. Not myself. Eisenhower saw the promise that america holds for everyone. And reciprocal responsibility to serve the country that offers so much. As he said in his first inaugural address, it is the firm duty of each of our free citizens to place the cause of his country before the comfort and convenience of himself. Putting his country before himself meant many things in eisenhowers life. It meant moving from place to place, often to other countries. It frequently meant leaving his family behind. It meant bearing the responsibility to send hundreds of thousands of sailors, soldiers and airmen into peril. It meant sacrifice, as we see reflected in the soldiers of the 101st airborne as they listened to their commander on the eve of dday, okay, lets go. In this memorial, we see the coming of anyone of eisenhower and america embodied in the dreams of a young man. Just as eisenhower left abilene at 20 to go to went point and later selected to be the supreme allied commander during world war ii and then president of the United States, america too was transitioning from Humble Beginnings to Global Leadership and ike led the way. The legacy of that emergence of america can be seen in the tapestry of normandy of peace. A symbol of the sacrifice that was made there to liberate europe, saving western democracy. Memorials act as historical touchstones. They are the intersection of memories and history. They are meant to inspire contemplation and reflection about events and people, like eisenhower who shaped our history profoundly. I hope this memorial, not only makes us more aware of eisenhowers accomplishments, and where we would be as a nation, or World Without him, without his vision and leadership, but even more importantly, i hope it causes us to reflect on where we are today and what we are as individuals and a society and what we can do to change the course of the nation and the world. It is incumbent upon us to learn from the past and apply those principles to our circumstances today to build on the foundation eisenhower desperately fought to protect and secure. This memorial teaches us that through all of the darkness, there is light. And this memorial comes exactly the right time to provide some light in our troubling times. As we look to the entrance of the memorial, im pointing at it, we see the hopes of all young men and we see that teenage boy from the small town of kansas, ableilene, looking bk at us, and we saw the hopes of all young men and women as they see their future and remind us that we have our own dreams, liberty and freedom to make it possible for us to find our way to preserve those hopes and dreams and to seize the opportunities before us. Eisenhower understood that if a country where destiny is determined not by ones position at birth, but rather strength of character and determination of spirit that dreams do come true. Eisenhower understood ones person ability to chart his or hers own course. That american story, the story of a young by from abilene, again, as celebrated at the entrance of this memorial, for me, for me, as a small town kansas boy, i never dreamed, never dreamed i would one day dedicate a memorial to kansass favorite son, dwight d. D. Eisenhower. It is with wonder in my heart that i stand here near the statues of eisenhower as general and president with the towering cliffs of hatch and also with the towering cliffs, behind us i marvel at the lessons that he left us. Life in a small town is not easy, but the rewards come from a community of people who know your name, who know your parents name and your teachers name. If you fall down a few rungs down ladder of success someone is there to help you climb back. We cheer each others victories and no wonder did dwight d. Eisenhower the proudest thing that i can claim is i am from abilene. In closing, i take you back to the moment just before eisenhower beg eisenhower began his address, i share some of that with you now. Almighty god, give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong, and allow all of our words and actions to be governed thereby, and by the laws of this land, especially we pray that our concerns shall be for all people regardless of station, race or calling. May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those under the concepts of our constitution hold to different political face so that we may all work for the good of our beloved country and glory, amen. May the United States of america mean something more to each of us because of eisenhowers legacy and our reflections at this memorial. Thank you. [ applause ] please welcome, former secretary of state and National Security adviser condoleezza rice. Hello. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to participate even if virtually, in the long overdue establishment of a memorial to our 34th president dwight d. Eisenhower. To my good friend, senator pat roberts, thank you for your leadership in bringing us to this day and to my friend susan, and the entire eisenhower family, thank you for allowing me to participate. Dwight d. Eisenhower was president of the United States when i was born. I dont, of course, personally remember many of the events of his presidency, but ive always had a real sense of connection to him, and not just by the accident of the timing of my birth and his tenure. As a young girl growing up in birmingham, alabama, he was a hero to like my parents and friends sought and desired so much just to be treated as firstclass citizens in america. They sought justice and they saw in president eisenhower a leader who sought justice, too. My father cast his first vote as a republican for dwight d. Eisenhower, and he did so with pride, and i can remember that he thought president eisenhower would mack a difference and make a difference he did. Perhaps none of us will ever forget that it was president eisenhower that protected young black children as they tried finally to deliver on the Supreme Court decision of brown versus the board of education and to integrate segregated schools in little rock, arkansas. That was an act befitting a leader. Dwight d. Eisenhower was a leader and then, of course, the Civil Rights Act of 1957 which would create a u. S. Commission on civil rights and the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department and ultimately it would lay the groundwork for the landmark civil rights legislation of 1964 and 1965. As a student and practitioner of international politics, i also felt a connection to president eisenhower who stood as a giant, the last general to serve as our president. I always believed that he ended the korean war because it was the right thing to do and also as a soldier, he knew the costs of war better than most civilians could ever, and yet he knew it was not just a matter of ending wars. It was a matter of establishing a just peace throughout the world and therefore his administrations National Security strategy which would really, throughout the cold war until its end guide our policy at facing down the threats of communism in europe and in asia. When i had the opportunity as a young staff member of the National Security council in 1989 to 1991 to be a part of the team that finally got to deliver on that promise, the liberation of eastern europe, the unification of germany and finally the peaceful collapse of the soviet union, i always tried to take a minute to remember truman and eisenhower and all of those who made it possible, and then, of course, in the middle east. President eisenhower would become associated with the eisenhower doctrine which sought to allow america to become a beacon and a shield for those facing aggression in the middle east. I was also attracted to this president because he was a Public Servant. In fact, the quintessential Public Servant. Like a general more than a century and a half before him, george washington, president eisenhower didnt seek political life. It sought him, and it was a time when our country was emerging on to the world stage as a dominant force for peace and prosperity, and freedom, but a time, too, when new dangers were arising in europe, asia and the middle east. He led us and the alliances that we built particularly where he was the first supreme allied commander to accept those responsibilities with strength and will and also with our values solidly at the center of what we did. At this point i would be remiss if i didnt mention one other connection to president eisenhower. He loved that infuriating, frustrating game called golf, and so do i. And so i look out at our country today, the civil strive, economic and health challenges, questions about who we are and who we want to be, we would do well to remember the legacy of eisenhower not just for what he did, but for who he was. Called to service, he served with humility and integrity and love of country. He but that democracy is not a spectator sport and though politics was not his chosen profession, he answered the call, and made america better as a result. That is what we commemorate today. This soldier statesman who would lead the alliance to wartime victory and help to save civilization and then return home to lead his country and the free world through the challenges and opportunities that that victory afforded and he would seek to right the wrongs that confronted and oppressed black citizens, too. I always believed that he was motivated in part by having watched the service of black soldiers who were willing to pay the last full measure in love of america even when america didnt love them and so he honored them and those like them. He knew that america would not be fully free until all of its people were fully free. Thank you for allowing me to reflect on the legacy of dwight d. Eisenhower. Many will come to visit this splendid place. They will be inspired and hopefully they will be led to play a part, a personal part in sustaining our country and making it better. President eisenhower once said we must be willing individually and as a nation to accept whatever sacrifices may be required of us. A people that values its privileges above its principles will soon lose both. Those are words to live by today as we face the many difficult, difficult challenges here in america. Let us remember that democracy is something that we all have to own. Democracy is something that doesnt work unless every citizen is involved, and in doing so, lets remember the legacy and the example of dwight d. Eisenhower who called to serve, did so with splendid results for our country. God bless you. God bless the memory of dwight d. Eisenhower and may god continue to bless the United States of america. Thank you. [ applause ] former secretary of state National Security adviser condoleezza rice. Here tonight, as mentioned by senator roberts, is president eisenhowers grandson, David Eisenhower. He is an author, a professor and someone after my own heart, a television host, please welcome David Eisenhower. [ applause ] well, thank you very much, brett, and congratulations on the book that brett bair wrote about dwight d. Eisenhower. Congressman thompson has identified members of my family who are here tonight, my son alex, my sister marys son merrill. We have grandchildren here. Julie and i are advised that my daughters are looking in tonight. Their children, my sisters, their children, three generation of eisenhowers in total. So on behalf of three generations of the eisenhower family, i wish to say that this is a wonderful and longawaited evening. The program calls on me to tell family stories and since its raining and a number of speakers have drawn attention to that, i will tell you our very favorite family story. It is june 1954, dr. Milton eisenhower is president of penn state. Dwight eisenhower, his brother, is president of the United States and he is scheduled to deliver a commencement at penn state. As you know, penn state is a very large university. This is an outdoor event and with thousands gathering this is threatened by rain. Well, you can picture the scene of worry in the president s house as milton is on the phone and he is pacing the living room, but as the story goes, at one point Dwight Eisenhower remarks milton, since june 6, 1944, i have never worried about the rain. Such was the life that Dwight Eisenhower led, he experienced acute worries, and a life of boldness, decision, bravery and achievement in the service of his country. Indeed, my earliest memory of the world is being buckled into a seat aboard the columbine, generalizen howers nato command plane of 1941. I distinctly remember granddad boarding the plane and i remember the electricity surrounding him. In the years to follow not once did i doubt his greatness knowing his extraordinary mind and spirit, his generosity, fairness and courage. Ill also speak tonight as a former commissioner. I was a member of the original commission that gathered 20 years ago. In the 20year effort to complete the eisenhower memorial, weve seen that National Memorials do not just come about. Weve learned in the process that there will always be differing opinions and controversy and we have seen that success depends on dedicated individuals possess the energy and singlemindedness and vision. Such a person was the late rocco sic si siciliano and two commissioners that would snot settle for anything less than a National Memorial and his wife katherine is with us tonight and shes a commissioner and i say congratulations to her. I offer congratulations also to susan harris and al getteldig, Board Members throughout this process and our deepest appreciation to the congressmen and senators who also served and we salute general carl reddel without whom there would be no memorial. [ applause ] and it is fitting that pat roberts is giving a keynote tonight. He is uniquely qualified to honor Dwight Eisenhower. He guided this memorial across the finish line and a special thank you to senator bob dole who so proudly hails from eisenhowers beloved kansas. Thank you for the boost you provided as a commissioner. I would like to say congratulations to my sisters, anne, mary and susan. I think anne and mary would not resent it if i lent emphasis to susan. Their indispensable help helped resolve design questions over the past several years and they played a major role in organizing support and sponsorship in support for this memorial. And congratulations to architect Frank Aguirre who throughout this process held fast to the fundamentals of his Design Concept which i was first privileged to see in 2007. For instance, i believe that a key message conveyed by the memorial is embodies in the statue of young Dwight Eisenhower, a feature of frank gearys earliest designs. My feelings about that starch y statue were confirmed in the fall of 2017 when i found myself in conversation with a former student of mine, now a very prominent pollster. He said to me that he felt emotional about the memorial project because of that statue. He pointed out that the eisenhower memorial would be a rare place in washington, d. C. , where young people strzivisitin capitol would actually gaze at a statue and say thats me or thats my classmate, that is someone like me. Such people would then look beyond that statue to the panorama telling of Dwight Eisenhower and americas accomplishments in war and peace and they will think the americans can do things like that. As we all know the memorialization has become an issue in the last few years and the truth has emerged in discussions and they must reflect our values and so in the end, therefore, the test of a memorial is timelessness and timelessness is something, i believe, has been achieved by this memorial. For i think all of us tonight can hope and pray that a time will never come that they cannot cherish the values depicted here and hard work, bravery, steadfastness and a vision, and a time when americans do not cherish the story presented here of america at her best and most proud. Thank you very much. [ applause ] after their successful performance in season 14 of americas got talent, voices of service have used their platform to raise awareness of the healing power of music for service men and women who are coping with post Traumatic Stress and other wounds of war. Here tonight to perform their rendition of battle hymn of the republic, please welcome caleb green, ron henry, krifts crysta and jason hanna. [ applause ] ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh glory, glory, hallelujah glory, glory, hallelujah glory, glory, hallelujah his truth is marching on my eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored he had loose the fateful lightning of his terrible sword his truth is marching on glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory, hallelujah his truth is marching on glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah his truth is marching on his truth is marching on [ applause ] in addition to being president eisenhowers granddaughter, she is the founding director, first president and chairman emerita of the eisenhower institute, a think tank located in washington, d. C. And gettysburg, pennsylvania. She is also an author with a new book out this summer. Please welcome, susan eisenhower. Senator pat roberts, chairman of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, Eisenhower Memorial Commission, members and distinguished guests, its a great pleasure for me to be with you here tonight albeit virtually to add my voice to the many others in expressing my gratitude for all of those who made the eisenhower memorial possible. It is with a heavy heart that i am unable to be with you tonight. The coronavirus has upset so many plans across america and so many things that we all wanted to be able to participate in and to be present for. Unfortunately, so many members of my family were unable to be with you tonight, and my siblings and i feel a deep sadness that it was not possible that we could be together. In any case, because of coronavirus virus regulations and other factors, we are, though, with you in spirit. I want to make special note of the people who played such a key role, and there are many more, but i want to thank senator pat roberts for his extraordinary leadership. I want to thank robert dole for his neverending help in assuring that the eisenhower memorial be built. I want to thank also frank fahrenkopf. There were so many others including the Eisenhower Memorial Commission and the staff as well as appropriators who we worked with very closely, but i also want to make special mention of the many, many donors across our country who contributed their private funds to see this become a reality, and so i want to take this opportunity also to stand back and think about the progress that was made on this memorial. Much has been written and discussed in the press about early controversies on this design, but theyre missing a much larger point. Its extraordinary to me that the people of good will were able to come together and to talk about their differences and their various ideas for making this memorial a strong and meaningful note to Dwight Eisenhowers wartime president ial leadership. I think this memorial is also stands as a symbol of compromise and progress and for that i have to thank personally secretary james baker who played such a key role and an important part of this trajectory, making sure that we had a concept that was big enough that would serve the purposes of history. All of these various sides coming together made this memorial bigger, more meaningful and more monumental and i am so deeply grateful for that. It was secretary bakers idea to make the backdrop, the beaches of normandy in peacetime. Think of the wonderful significance of that, not only victory in europe, but winning the peace after the war, and i hope many of you will have a chance to visit normandy yourself to see what an iconic spot it truly is. For the last two and a half years ive been working on a book called how ike lead and it was released a week ago. I studied my grandfathers president ial career and also dipped back into his wartime leadership that informed so much of his presidency. I was astonished to see how many things i didnt know, but also to see this enormous alliance between the person i know and the person who was depicted in the history books. I was impressed by his grasp of human nature, his belief in our country and his commitment to serve the constitution of the United States. He always put his own personal interests aside, and as a strategic leader he lead as a human being and a toughminded determination to bring victory in europe and to bring our country together during the tumultuous time in our history, but he lead with his head and he also lead with his heart. He was trusted by the American People and his middle way president ial approach to politics assured that his administration conserved all segments of american society. He held together during vast technological and social change, a frakt youous america. I am thrilled about the memorial itself, about the beautiful tapestry that depicts point dehawk in normandy and the extraordinary opportunity for people to come to this memorial not just to reflect, but also to come and gather with friends, maybe bring a sandwich and go to the museums after coming to the eisenhower memorial. It would be my idea of a great day. So in closing, none of this really would have been possible without the creativity and the patience, yes, frank gary, the patience of our designer frank gary. He conceived of this remarkable t tribute to Dwight Eisenhower and his design is enhanced enormously not only by these skrims that have never been done before, but also by the moving statues by sergei. So in closing, let me thank everyone for their cooperation, for their willingness to compromise, and for their vision of what to leave future generations about Dwight Eisenhower and for the community we are all now part of. With many thanks, good night. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, susan eisenhower. I just want to take a moment to say that this memorial speaks for itself, but i have to put in a plug for the eisenhower president ial library and museum and boyhood home in abilene, kansas. If you ever get the chance, take it. Ive been there probably eight times. Its worth doing. This memorial is beautiful tonight. The moment has come at this time, i would like to ask the Eisenhower Memorial Commissioners along with David Eisenhower and interior secretary David Bernhard to come up to the front here for the official ribbon cutting. Afterwards, senator roberts will have some Closing Remarks and will officially hand over the key to this memorial to secretary bernhard. Please welcome the [ applause ] and finally, mr. Senator pat roberts. Well the department of interior, to the National Park service is entrusted to serve as the steward and guardian of our National Parks and monuments and battlefields. Each site helps to tell americas story and it is a rich and incredible story. I just read the secretarys speech. It sort of fits, mr. Secretary, i give you the key, dedication, september 7, 2020 to the dwight d. Eisenhower memorial. Sir, ive been chairman for 21 years, and i thought this would never come. Mr. Secretary, thank you snap thank you so much. Thank you, sir. You can read your speech. [ laughter ] [ applause ] well, thank you. Thank you so much. I am acutely aware of i am the only thing standing between you and a roof. So let me be brief. The places we steward and protect often highlight exceptional action by incredible individuals and that is certainly the case here at the eisenhower memorial. Tonight, we come together to celebrate this dedication. It is a moment that represents years of effort by you and many others that are not gathered here tonight. The story of the thought, the conception and the effort that went into this memorial is similar to the effort that has gone in to the development of memorials throughout the d. C. Area and throughout our federal lands. Each of these memorials was carefully crafted, delicately placed on federal property, each telling an important story. Here, we have an inspirational leader who rose to an incredible challenge and led our great nation to a moment that propelled us forward, telling stories like this are important to our national identity. Regrettably, throughout this year, we have seen that some have a different perspective. They wish to deface, destroy or remove or reconstitute works of art like this memorial. Some are trying to do that through criminal means. Such criminal actions will not be tolerated. Crimes will be investigated and the penalties for prosecution are severe. Each effort to reimagine a federal memorial should undergo the same thoughtful process that led to the creation of what we celebrate here tonight. Rather than removing and revising the memorials great le lead e the Trump Administration believes that we must tell more stories of exceptional actions by Exceptional People and none of whom are without some flaw, but all of whom can aspire us young and old, and therefore i humbly accept the eisenhower memorial as the 120th unit of the National Park system. Thank you and god bless america. [ applause ] thank you, mr. Secretary, in closing, id like to thank the 177th fighter wing of the new Jersey National guard for conducting tonights flyover. It was fantastic even in the rain. Exactly. I would also like to thank rachel mast, voices of service, the president s own marine band. [ applause ] the 101st Airborne Division, the west Point Alumni Glee Club for their contributions during tonights event and ceremony. We are so proud they answered the call to participate especially tonight, and now to conclude tonights program, voices of service will perform their renditions of abide with me, the army song and america the beautiful, and will be followed by the president s own u. S. Marine band which will close us out. It has been a real honor to be the emcee tonight. Honestly, fore wishing of a process that that book took me to, thank you very much for being here tonight. God bless and have a safe night. Abide with me, fast falls the tide the darkness deepens, lord with me abide help the helpers fail and comfort help the helpless, abide with me i fear no foe and thee i had to bless hills have no way and tears no bitterness where is that stake where is thy victory our triumphs are still with doubt, abide with me when the helpers fail and comfort thee help the helpless, oh abide with me march along, sing a song, we are the army of the free count the brave count the true who have fought to victory were the army and proud of our name were the army and proudly proclaim first to fight for the right and to build the nations might and the Army Goes Rolling along proud of all we have done fighting until the battles won and the Army Goes Rolling along then its high, high, hey, the army is on its way count on the cadence loud and strong for where we go, you will always know that the Army Goes Rolling along that the Army Goes Rolling along [ cheers and applause ] oh beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain for purple mountains majesty above the fruited plain america sweet america god shed his grace on thee and he crown thy good with sweet brotherhood from sea to shining sea America America god shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood with brotherhood from sea to shining sea from sea to shining sea oh [ applause ] youre watching American History tv, every weekend on cspan3, explore our nations past. Cspan3 created by americas Cable Television companies as a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. Weeknights this month were featuring American History tv programs as a preview of whats available every weekend on cspan3. Tonight, charles stewart, coauthor of fighting for the speakership, the house and the rise for party government. He discusses electing the speaker of the house in