President-Elect Eisenhower standing with soldiers of the 15th Regiment, 3rd U.S. Infantry Division, in South Korea on December 4, 1952. (L to R) Sgt. Jack Hutcherson, Eisenhower, PFC Casper Skudlarek, and Cpl. James Murray, who would be KIA several days after meeting Eisenhower.
U.S. Army Photo, Courtesy of the Eisenhower Presidential Library
"A soldier all my life, I have enlisted in the greatest cause of my life, the cause of peace. I do not believe it is a presumption to call the effort of all who have enlisted with me a crusade."
Dwight D. Eisenhower, remarks in Detroit, Michigan, October 24, 1952.
While Dwight Eisenhower's military career is most associated with World War II, it was the Korean War which Eisenhower dealt with early in his presidency. This conflict--oft forgotten today--claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, including over 33,000 Americans.
During World War II, Eisenhower saw death and destruction on an unprecedented scale. As the victorious Supreme Allied Commander, Eisenhower used his post-war career to maintain peace and security in the geopolitical world of the Cold War. Bringing an end to the fighting in Korea was one of Eisenhower's primary campaign goals in 1952, and one he embarked upon even before he took his oath of office as the 34th President of the United States.
Known as the ‘Forgotten War’, Korea was the first major conflict of the Cold War impacting the lives of millions. Korea was central to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1952 presidential campaign, and his interactions with troops at the front lines of the war in December 1952 heavily influenced his push for an armistice, which took place on July 27, 1953.
Locations:Korean War Veterans Memorial, National Mall and Memorial Parks
The United Nations wall is the granite curb on the north side of the statues. This wall lists the 22 countries that gave combat or medical support to the UN forces.
Locations:Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Korean War Veterans Memorial
In 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower made negotiating an armistice in Korea his first priority as president. Learn how, and why, Eisenhower pushed for peace in Korea in this article.
Locations:Korean War Veterans Memorial, National Mall and Memorial Parks
Honoring the service members who served in the Korean War from 1950-1953, this memorial opened in 1995. The stainless steel soldiers represent different branches of service including Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force. Faces on the black stone wall are those of real war veterans. Walking through the memorial, one gets the sense of walking with the soldiers, an evocative experience unique among the war memorials in DC.
Locations:Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area, Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, Korean War Veterans Memorial, World War II Memorial
Elmer P. Gibson was a high-ranking African American Army Chaplain who served in World War II and the Korean War. He was an advocate for desegregating the military, and practiced desegregation as a chaplain, by holding integrated church services in the Aleutian Islands and other places. Later in life he served as an advisor to President Harry S. Truman and was a college president.
Locations:Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Korean War Veterans Memorial
The Korean War was one of the defining events of Dwight Eisenhower's presidency. Learn about the multiple ways that conflict and time period are represented through this look at the items on display inside the historic Eisenhower home.
Locations:Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Korean War Veterans Memorial
John Eisenhower was the second child of Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower, and the only one to live to adulthood. Much like his famous father, John lived a life of service to his country.
Locations:Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Korean War Veterans Memorial
A President-elect and a Corporal sit down together for lunch in the cold wintry mountains of Korea. Five days later, one is killed in action, and the other left wondering what he can do to prevent more deaths in an already far too costly war.
Locations:Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Korean War Veterans Memorial
In December 1952, President-Elect Dwight D. Eisenhower visited Korea to seek answers to a years long conflict. Eisenhower's trip fueled his desire to bring an end to fighting on the Korean Peninsula. Explore this story of how a president-elect, who happened to be a former 5 star general, sought peace in a time of conflict.
Locations:Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Denali National Park & Preserve, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Independence National Historical Park, John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Statue Of Liberty National Monument, Stonewall National Monument, White Sands National Park, Women's Rights National Historical Park, World War II Memorialmore »
The times are a changin’, and there’s no better time to honor those moments of change than in June. Over the course of America’s history, the month of June is filled with cultural changes, and some seasonal ones too. So just before the season changes and summer begins, take some time to visit these parks that commemorate extraordinary moments.
Locations:Constitution Gardens, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, National Mall and Memorial Parks, Pennsylvania Avenue, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington Monument, World War II Memorialmore »
National Mall and Memorial Parks is a diverse national park with distinctive sites that excite and enchant visitors while they learn the history of our nation. Begin your journey through “America’s Front Yard,” home to some of the nation's more iconic memorials located in the heart of the nation's capital.
