the time is june 1945. the the returned to his homeland of a war hero who stature has seldom been matched in the of his countrymen. european face of the greatest war america ever fought is over. and part of the warmth with which people of abilene, kansas greet general dwight eisenhower reflects the deep joy of a nation approaching peace again. some of it is the kind of welcome any hometown might give a favorite who has done a good job. but more than anything else, it is a tribute, a felt in every

corner. the allied world. no less. than in abilene. towards man who stewarded the crusade its victory. it was a crusade with many battles and triumphs. but it found symbol in one day, above all others. dee, do june six, 1944. the invasion of fortress europe was one of the greatest military adventures of all time upon the outcome of this bold adventure. hung the fate war and freedom. it was because so much of man's hope had been bound up in the success. this adventure that the architect of that success found the hearts of the people open to him, from europe to the town of

his boyhood, where the adventure of dwight eisenhower, the man began. abilene, kansas, a busy and proud town of almost western, is typical of kind of town that comes to mind with phrase grass roots america. the mark of the past on it. but it does not live in the past. its streets and its buildings bear test of the need to a living and growing america america. one of its newest and proudest buildings is the eisenhower museum carries both the spirit and the history. the eisenhower family of abilene abilene. it is visited daily by from all parts of the country, ranging from dignitary to schoolboy. inside the museum. the life of dwight eisenhower

boy and man is depicted this series of murals from infancy. that life had the flavor of grass roots america about it. eisenhower was born in 1890 in denison, texas, of parents whose families migrated to pennsylvania from europe and vents to the american midwest. young eisenhower's parents had lived in abilene before his birth and. it was to abilene once the town at the end of the chisholm trail, now a peaceful village of the plains that they returned when he was an infant and. and it was here. he grew to maturity through a that was active, eager and happy. and experi and shared with devoted parents and brothers. a childhood is rich in the important things of life ever graced the development of any man. it was an active boyhood, which

sports played an important part part. he excelled at both in school and on a vacant next to his home. but football was his first love and his high school called him the most outstanding in the valley. the active life important, but the greatest single step of the eisenhower family life was religious observance. the family home abilene shows the influence of that serious religious conviction. the bible was the guide of family life and its chronicler as. well. on wall of the bedroom shared by dwight and, his brother edgar still hangs the simple of faith. thy will done. it was a home of patriot ism as

well as faith and of respect for things of the mind. work constant and hard work was also a staple of the family routine. the creamery where a young eisenhower, during his spare time while he was in school, is still one of abilene's light industries. in way. and by these standards, young eisenhower grew to a manhood world would one day know well. he was 20 when he left abilene for the academy at west point. many a great american begun his march into history as a cadet on the plane at west point.

eisenhower was graduated the military academy in 1915 and commissioned a second lieutenant of infantry infantry. a new of life was beginning in the summer of 1916 as a newly promoted first lieutenant stationed at fort sam houston, texas. he married mamie geneva doud of denver denver. events in europe forging a new phase of life for the entire world. world war gave many a future general first experience with combat. but young eisenhower was not among them. world war one brought him instead command of a tank training center at gettysburg, pennsylvania, where prepared troops of the new tank corps overseas duty.

his performance won for him, the distinguished service medal. but before he was able to get to europe, the war ended. in the late twenties after graduation, the command and general staff school. major dwight eisenhower was assigned to france to prepare guidebook on american battlefields in europe. it was his first direct experience with that. with the thirties came other assignments climaxed by under general douglas macarthur in philippines. for four years he worked with macarthur, who commander in chief of the philippine army, to help the commonwealth government work a plan for its military defense. ordered to the states in december 1939. lieutenant colonel eisenhower went to fort lewis as executive

officer. the 15th infantry regiment. in, the spring of 1940. german divisions were crashing through and belgium. the luftwaffe was streaking its destruction through europe skies. france was prospering. and beleaguered britain standing. the united states had passed the selective service act to prepare for what inevitably lay ahead. and the biggest in colonel eisenhower's life was to aid in that preparation. late in 1940, he was made chief staff of the third division, where his staff brought him assignment as chief of staff.

the ninth corps. in the summer of 1941, colonel eisenhower became chief of staff to general walter kruger, whose newly organized third army was preparing to participate in the most realistic war maneuvers yet held by american troops troops. in maneuvers over the louisiana countryside. as america fought for the time to train its growing army of citizen soldiers, eisenhower's task was to work out a plan of defense against an invading mechanized force. soon after the maneuvers were over, eisenhower was promoted to brigadier, and within a matter of days came the bombing of pearl harbor.

from almost this moment on, the fate of the nation and, the fate of general dwight eisenhower be inextricably bound together and call to washington. the first weeks after the war began, went to work in the war plans office of the war department. among plans formulated during this time was the central strategic determination to make an eventual attack across the english. the principal allied defensive effort. a mural covering the west of the eisenhower museum dramatized as the high spots of the next great sequence, the adventure involving the nation and the man whose ability to rise to grave, responsible brought him rapid promotions because an all out channel invasion would be impossible before 1944 and because the need for offensive action immediate in 1942, the allies undertook as a combined operation under the command of general dwight eisenhower, the

invasion of north africa. the minimum objective of this maneuver was to seize the main ports between casablanca and algiers. along the rim of the north african coast. troops washed ashore in late november, resistance ranging from in algiers to, surprisingly, at casablanca. the commander's hope was to push east along the mediterranean and take the important post of bizet and, tunis. but a number unfavorable circumstances, including weather conditions, prompted commander to hold off on this vital

assault. in the spring, however, troops of omar bradley's second corps were able to take bizet. at the same time, tunis fell to the british first army. and with these victories came the end of the axis empire in africa. the allied leaders and the men who fought under them proudly commemorated victory. one of the greatest products of this victory, in the words of the commander, was the progress achieved in the welding of allied unity and the establishment of a combat team that was already showing the effects of a growing confidence and trust among its members.

the successful end of the campaign brought personal recognition of eisenhower throughout the world as a great leader. but the commander himself interpreted this recognition as proof free men can find in unity way to victory, even against seeming invincible odds. the next big campaign, the invasion of sicily brought. further demonstration of this basic truth allied troops took this vital in the summer of 1943, the effective sicily fall was elected. italy's the first of the axis partners to capitulate capitulate. and now allies prepared for what was to be the fiercely fought

battle of the mediterranean. the invasion of italy itself at salerno. through miracle of courage and tenacity. troops of general mark clark's fifth army. establish a beachhead against overwhelming german. and went on to take salerno and the vital port of naples. with these victories although heavy and important battles lay ahead the first major objectives of the italian campaign. what accomplished allied forces

were on european and would be able to pin down german troops far from the scene of the cross invasion planned for the year. president visited the combat area general eisenhower when he came over the cairo and tehran conferences where agreement was once again established, the principal allied effort would be the invasion of europe. shortly afterward the man who would command this awesome undertake king was named general dwight d, whom people throughout the free were now calling the man of the hour. on the opposite of the museum, another mural depicts some of the major episodes in the great crusade, which liberated. the supreme commander's orders from the combined of staff were

quite simple to land on the coast of france and to destroy the german ground. between the order and its execution lay an agony of effort across the channel. the heavy fortifications lining the coast of france bespoke the nazis belief that they could push the invading armies back into the sea. in france, 58 german divisions were waiting, preparing for the invasion was a job without incessant and realistic training was of paramount importance. the challenges of the myriad details of coordination on every all these were overwhelming.

but through those months, in the early part of 1944, the continued for and finally after being one day because of weather conditions the eve of the day of decision was in hand. the commander visited the airborne who would lead the invasion. i found the men in fine, he wrote later, joshing admonishing me that i had no cause worry. d-day with the fate of the war hanging in the balance. half a million troops backed by millions, faced outward across

the stormy sea. of on beaches that dotted the coast of the channel. british, canadian and american troops touched shore. the first fateful moment passed and allied troops were holding on french side. one week after the landings, the commander was able to say to the vast armies on to him your accomplishments in the last seven days of this campaign have exceeded my highest hopes. less than two months after the invasion, allied force broke out of the beachhead perimeter in the hedgerow country around st

louis. to imitation of the breakout. it was the next up. and now that began the dramatic pursuit spearheaded by general patton's armored force across heart of france. and then the grand, triumphant march through paris, which was freed by french troops and soldiers of the us corps. beyond callously, the of belgium and the yard by struggle across the german border border.

le blocking the steady pursuit of victory. the nazi counteroffensive in the dense sector known as the battle of the bulge. through a grim and bleak period of several weeks, the supported by the most devastating of weather conditions isolated an assorted allied force. general. eisenhower called upon all troops rise to new heights, courage and effort. the brave of the beleaguered forces held and steadily began pressing the enemy back. and from that moment onward, the supreme commander countered weakened nazi resistance. the brigitte romagna, across rhine, one of the sturdiest symbols of a war. with this crossing, march 1945, the heart, the enemy's defenses was cracked.

the remained substantial task of mopping up was left of the enemy, west of the rhine. and accepting his surrender, the droves that began to appear the great cities, the enemy's fatherland, were rubble. as allied troops moved through them in the last stages of the enemy's defeat defeat. both commander and gi were able find the exaltation that comes when victory is close. victory came with the german surrender in a at rouse on may the seventh, 1945. the return to peace was

signaled. the supreme commander. i have a proud privilege of speaking for a victorious army of almost 5 million fighting in they and the women who have so ably assisted them constitute the allied expeditionary that have liberated western europe. they have captured destroyed enemy armies totaling more than their own spread merely to name principal subordinate in, the canadian, french, american british forces is to present a picture of the utmost inefficiency, skill, loyalty and devotion to duty. the united nations will gratefully remember peter montgomery spot rightly the light career and many others. but all these agree with me in the selection of a truly heroic figure of this war. he is g.i. joe and his counterpart in the air.

the and the merchant marine of one of the united nations. he has braved the dangers u-boat infested seas. he has surmounted charges in the desperately defended beaches. he has fought his teachers patient way through the ultimate in fortified zone. he has endured cold hunger, a deep. his companion has been danger. death has dogged his footsteps. he his platoon commanders have given an example of loyalty, devotion to duty, an indomitable that will live in our hearts as long as we. those qualities in men. and now the long and happy road home home. for dwight eisenhower. that road was paved with the cheers of the people, the allied countries. in his own homeland. a hero welcome awaited him.

a america's greeting for a favorite son. here the story of dwight eisenhower. well, have ended on this of triumphant acclaim for the job so splendidly done. but america had other tasks for his favorite soldier. eisenhower succeeded general as the army's first postwar chief of staff. he expressed the belief that one of the greatest pillars of world peace is a strong united states. he visited troops in various parts of the world to show america's growing sense of global responsibility. we must remain, he said. the first champions of those who seek to lead their own lives in with their neighbors. finally, on february the

seventh, 1948, the generals abilene. after 36 years of service to his country, left active military assignment assignment. but not active participate in the life of his nation. he accepted an invitation from columbia university to serve president of that great institution, enabling him so thought at the time to devote to of his useful life to the challenges of education. but the events of the postwar world dictated otherwise. the urgent necessity for unity in the free world brought being the north atlantic treaty organization. and it was evident only one man could make that vital and complicated organization work the outset. dwight eisenhower at the end of

1950, he answered his country's call once more and once more. he was on european soil to assume supreme command of the land land, the sea and the air forces. a grand defensive alliance against the new threat arising from the soviets, who had once been nation's ally. he had to create, in the war weary european soul, the will to defend itself so that freedom so dearly bought would not be lost for more than a year. he labored diligent at his task of coalition. when he turned over the reins of command to general matthew the structure of military among free nations on rested the hope for continued peace was established. once again with the accomplished a substantial victory behind him. this might well have been the end of his public career and in a sense was the closing chapter

in the story of eisenhower. the soldier. history is recording today the story of eisenhower, the statesman. the stories may be, but soldier and statesman they are the same man. dwight d eisenhower. citizen of the united states. spokesman and symbol of the free world. and son of abilene. as richer study as this nation has produced of the capacity for greatness, which at its grassroots. the big picture is an report for the armed forces, the american people produced by the army pictorial center.

presented by the department. the army, in cooperation with

good evening. i'm executive director of the john f kennedy library foundation. and on behalf of my library and foundation, i'm delighted to welcome all of you who are watching online as well as those

of you who are in person with us today. i would also like to acknowledge the generous support of our underwriters of the kennedy forum's lead sponsors, bank of america and the lowell institute, and our media sponsor, the boston. and many thanks. the white house correspondents association. all of your partnership and cooperation to make tonight's program a reality we look forward to robust question and answer period tonight. if you're joining us online, you'll see full instructions on screen for submitting your questions via email or comments on our youtube page during the program. when the q&a starts, we will invite those of you who are joining us in person today, today to proceed to the microphones that are in the aisles to ask your questions. it is fitting that are hosting tonight's conversation here at the jfk library where we celebrate life and accomplishments of our nation's fifth president, john kennedy was the first president to conduct a live televised

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