some of the opinions you heard here today. when we had our last commission meeting in -- in july, of this past year, which included at that time our commissioner david eisenhower, the commission felt that it had consensus. >> do you still feel that way? >> clearly we do not have consensus today. >> when did you first become aware the family had serious concerns with the design, how did the commission attempt to reconcile those concerns? >> the current dieynamic of concern and controversy became apparent to us following the commission meeting of july this last year. >> thank you. there are some missing minutes from i think july 2007 to march 2009. where are those minutes? can we get a copy of those? >> there was not a meeting of the commission at that time. and from our viewpoint. >> in the two year time period? >> pardon me? >> in the two year time period?

from july '07 to march '09, you had no meetings? >> i believe that is correct. yes, sir. in other words the business of the commission at that time did not include a full commission meeting. >> that's unusual. why did you choose to run the competition by the gsa design excellence program? >> simply put, the complexity of the site which was -- identified in the national capital planning mission commission's master plan for memorials, presented us with an unusual challenge in urban design. i am not an architect. but the size and location of eisenhower square which was attractive to us because it -- fit eisenhower in a particular and powerful personal way presented a wide range of design challenges. >> i'm running out of time. let me make these quick.

does the process favor large established firms? >> i can't speak to the process. i don't know the history of gsa's experience with that. >> i am assuming that, that obviously an unknown designer could have been selected, but does that process that we use basically make that an unfair reality? >> i find that correct. yes, sir. >> i do want to say one other thing. we have repeatedly said on this panel that we are not experts in this area. unfortunately, eight of the 12 members of the committee, i do hope congress has some expertise in this area. other wise we are all screwed. do you have any other questions? mr. kildee, any other questions you have? let me conclude this by thanking all of you for being here. i appreciate the family for being here. i certainly hope as we go forward with this, that there will be a broad consensus of

what is going forward. we have one chance to make this correct. and do it right. and it need to be there. i thank you for your commitment to this, this enterprise. i thin tick, for me personally, i do want to see a very good, a very accurate, memorial to generali eisenhower and presidet eisenhower, it is in prnt mport do it. hopefully you can cover up one of the uglier buildings in washington while you are doing it. that's besides the point. the idea of consensus with the design is important. i realize many times when we have done multiple designs and come up with different yipd it has produced something that is very spectacular. i think world war ii, perfect example of being able to do something and do it right. this is another one that i want to make sure we do it right. i appreciate your willingness to be here and to testify. for all of you who have been here and once again i say there may be questions that the committee has of witnesses who were here.

we will submit those to you in writing and we ask for your written response as well. with that if there is no other questions, this committee is in recess. is adjourned. adjourned. adjourned. >> 2012 local content vehicle cities tour takes our book tv and american history tv on the

road the first weekend of each month. this past weekend featured little rock. with book tv at university of arkansas. >> he collected photographs and was interested in the 19th century, the civil war in particularch these are two friends, union and confederate who knew each other prior to the civil war, who fought against each other at the battle of pea ridge in 1862, survived the war, came out alive, and remained friends after the war. here they are at age 100. sitting on the porch talking about the old days. >> american history tv looked at life in a world war ii internment camp. >> a wonderful book, the art of surviving the unsurvivable sort of. and she talks a lot about how the arts and the crafts were sort of how they kept their sanity. and it gave them something to do. and about how depression was so

bad in a lot of the camps. people, there was high incidence of suicide. so people would make these little things, of beauty, to give to each other just as a way to say -- you know, we support you. we care about you. >> our cities tour continues, weekend may 5 and 6. from oklahoma city. c-span, 2 and 3. >> dwight eisenhower served over 40 years in the military before boeing being elected president. this is half an hour. >> the united states army presents -- "the big picture.

"unofficial report produced for the armed forces and the american people. now, to show you part of the big picture, here is sergeant stewart clingy. >> in preavious big picture, we brought you pictorial biographies of our military leaders whose lives and careers played an important part in the fab rick of our nation's history. today the big picture brings you another story in which the army and the nation take particular pride. the story of eisenhower, the soldier, as narrated by raymond massey. ♪ >> the time is june, 1945. the occasion, the return to his homeland of a war hero whose stature has seldom been matched in the esteem of his country. the european phase of the greatest war america ever fought is over. and part of the warmth with

which the people of abilene, kansas greet eisenhower reflects the deep joy of the nation approaching peace again. some of it is the kind of welcome any hometown might give a favorite son who has done a good job. but more than anything else it is a tribute. a gratitude felt in every corner of the allied world. no less than in abilene. toward a man whose stewarded a crusade towards its victory. a crusade with many battles and trials. it found its symbol in one day above all others. >> d-day. june 6, 1944. the invasion of fortress europe was one of the greatest military adventures of all time. from the outcome of this bold adventure hung the fate of war and freedom.

it was because so much of man's hope had been bound up in the success of this adventure, the architect of that success found the heart of the people open to him from europe to the town of his boyhood when the adventure of dwight d. eisenhower the man began. abilene, kansas today. a busy, proud town. [ inaudible ] typical of the kind of town that comes to mind with the phrase grassroots america. ♪ the mark of the past is on it. but he does not live in the past. its streets and buildings bear testimony to a living and greg america. one of its newest, proudest buildings is the eisenhower museum which carries forth the spirit and history of the

eisenhower family, of abilene. it is visited daily by citizens, from all parts of the country. ranging from dignitary to schoolboy. inside the museum, the life of dwight eisenhower, boy and man, is depicted in a series of murals. from infancy that life had the flavor of grassroots america about him. eisenhower was born in 1890 in dennison, texas of parents whose families migrated to pennsylvania from europe and then to the american midwest. young eisenhower's parents had lived in abilene before his birth and it was to abilene, once the wild town, now a pleasant village of the plains that they returned when he was an infant. and it was here that he grew to

maturity through a childhood that was ak tifshctiactive, eag happy. an experience shared with devoted parent and spirited brothers. a childhood as rich in the important things of life that ever graced the development of any man. it was an active boyhood in which sports played an important part. he excelled at baseball, both in school and on a vacant lot next to his home. but football was his first love. and his high school coach called him the most outstanding tackle in the valley. ♪ the active life was important, but the greatest single staple of the eisenhower family life was religious observance. the family home in abilene shows the influence of that serious

religious conviction. the bible was the guide of family life. and its chronicler as well. on the wall of the bedroom shared by dwight and his brother edgar, still hangs the simple testament of faith. thy will be done. it was a home of patriotism, 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 young eisenhower worked during his spare time while he was in school is still one of abilene's light industries. in this way, and by these standards. young dwight eisenhower grou to a manhood the world would one day know well. he was 20 when he left abilene.

for the military academy at west point. ♪ many a great american has begun his march into history as a cadet on the plane at west point. eisenhower was graduated from the military academy in 1915 and commissioned to second lieutenant of infantry. ♪ a new phase of life was beginning. in the summer of 1916, as a newly promoted first lieutenant, stationed fort sam houston, texas, he married his wife of denver. forging a new phase of life for the whole world.

world war i gave men a future general his first experience with combat. but young eisenhower was not among them. world war i brought him instead, command of a tank training center, at gettysburg, pennsylvania where he prepared troops of the new tank corps for overseas duty. his performance won for him the distinguished service medal. before he was able to got to europe, the war ended. ♪ in the late 1920s, after graduation from the command and general staff school, major dwight d. eisenhower was asigned to france to prepare a guidebook on europe. it was his first direct experience with that continent. with the '30s came other assignments, climaxed by service under general douglas macarthur in the philippines. for four years he worked with

macarthur, commander unchi-in-cf the philippine army to help the government work out a plan for its military defense. ordered back to the states in december, 1939, lieutenant colonel eisenhower want to fort lewis, washington as executive officer of the 15th regiment. in the dark spring of 1940, german armored divisions were crashing through holland and belgium. streaking its destruction through europe's skies, and france was prostrate, and england was alone. passing the selective service

act to prepare for what inevitably lay ahead. and the biggest challenge in colonel eisenhower's life was to aid in that preparation. late in 1940, he was made chief of staff of the third di strivi where his work brought him chief of staff of the 9th corps. in the summer of 1941, colonel eisenhower became chief of staff to general water kruger whose third army was preparing to participate in the most realistic war maneuvers yet held by american troops. ♪ these 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 a recognized invading force.

soon after the maneuvers were over, eisenhower is promoted to brigadier general 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 d. eisenhower would be inextricably bound together. called to washington in the first weeks after the war began, eisenhower want to work in the war plans office of the war department. among the plans formulated during this time was the strategic determination to make the attack against the english channel the primary defensive. a mural, dramatizes the next

spot, the inauguration and the man, whose ability to rise to great responsibilities brought him rapid promotions. because an all-out channel invasion would be up possible before 1944, and because the need for offensive action was immediate in 1942, the allies undertook, as a combined operation, under the command of general dwight d. eisenhower, the invasion of north africa. the minimum objective of this maneuver was to seize the main ports between casablanca and g alal alal al algeirs. the commanders hope was to push east along the mediterranean and

take the important posts of berzert and tunis. on a number of unfavorable circumstances including treacherous weather conditions, prompted the commander to hold off on this vital assault. in the spring, however, troops of bradley's second corps were able to take berzert and at the same time tunis fell to the british 1st army. and with these victories came the end of the axis empire in africa. the allied leaders and the men who had fought under them proudly commemorated their victory.

one of the greatest products of this victory in the word of the commander himself, was the progress achieved in the establishment of a combat team that was already showing the effects of growing confidence and trust among all 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 that free men can find immunity the way to victory even against seemingly invincible odds. the next big campaign, the invasion of sicily, brought further demonstration of his basic truth. allied troops took this vital

rock in the summer of 1943. the effect of sicily's fall was electric. italy surrendered. the first of the axis partners to capitulate. and now the allies prepared for what was to be the most fiercely fought battle of the mediterranean war. the invasion of italy itself at salerno. through a miracle of courage and tenacity, troops of general mark clark's fifth army established a beachhead against overwhelming german odds and went on to take

salerno in the port of naples. with these victories although heavy fighting and important battles lay ahead, the first major objectives of the italian campaign were accomplished. allied forces were on european soil and would be able to pin down the german troops far from the scene of the cross channel invasion planned for the following year. president roosevelt visited the combat area with general eisenhower when he came over with the cairo conferences where the agreement was established that the principal allied effort would be the invasion of europe. shortly afterward, the man who would command this awesome undertaking was named -- general dwight d. eisenhower who people throughout the free world

were calling the man of the hour. on the opposite wall of the museum, another mural depicts some of the great episodes in the great crusade which liberated europe. the supreme commander's orders from the combined chiefs of staff were quite simple, to land on the coast of africa and thereafter to have the ground forces. between the order and its execution, lay an agony of effort. across the channel, the heavy fortifications lining the coast of france bespoke the nazi's belief they could push the invading armies back into the sea. in france alone, 58 german divisions were waiting. preparing for the invasion was a job without letup. incessant and realistic training was of paramount importance.

the challenges of morale, the on every level, all of these were overwhelming. but through those tense months and the early part of 44 preparations continued. and finally, after being postponed one day because of weather conditions, the eve of the day of decision was at hand. the commander visited the airborne troops who would lead the invasion. i found the man in fine fettle, he wrote later. joshingly admonishing me i had no cause for worry. d-day, with the fate of the war hanging in the balance.

half a million troops backed by millions more faced outward across the stormy sea. on beaches that dotted the french coast of the channel, british, canadian and american troops touched shore. the first fateful moment passed and allied troops were holding on french soil.

one week after the landings the commander was able to say to the vast armies under him your accomplishments in the last seven days of this campaign have exceeded my highest hopes. less than two months after they the invasion the force broke out in a perimeter in a hedge row country around the area. the breakout was the next step. now there began the dramatic pursuit spear hheaded by general george s. patton's armored force across the heart of france. and then the grand triumphant march through paris which was freed by french troops and soldiers of the u.s. fifth corps.

beyond paris lay the liberation of belgium and the yard-by-yard struggle across the german border. blocking the steady pursuit of victory laid a nazi counteroffensive known as the battle of the bulge. through a grim and bleak period of several weeks the enemy, supported by the most devastating of weather conditions, isolated and assaulted allied forces. general eisenhower called upon all troops to rise to new heights of courage and effort. the brave men of the beleaguered forces held and steadily

began pressing the enemy back. from that moment onward the supreme commander counted on weakened nazi resistance. the bridge across the rhine, one of the sturdiest symbols of the war, with its crossing in march, 1945, the heart of the enemy's defenses was cracked. there remained a substantial task of mopping up what was left of the enemy west of rhine. and accepting his surrender in the droves that began to appear. the great cities of the enemy's father land were rubble as allied troops moved through them in the last stages of the enemy's defeat. both commander and g.i. were able to find the exaltation that

comes when victory is close. victory came finally with a german surrender in a school house on may 7th, 1945. the return to peace was signaled by the supreme commander. >> i have the proud privilege of spenging for a victorious army of almost g men. they and the women who have so ably assisted them constitute the allied expeditionary forces that have liberated western europe. they have captured or destroyed enemy armies totaling more than their own strength. merely to name my principal subordinates in the canadian, french, american, and british forces, is to present a picture of the utmost in efficiency, skill, loyalty, and devotion to duty. the united nations will gratefully remember montgomery,