One should take note of the new temporary exhibit at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene.

ABILENE, Kan. – A new, temporary exhibit titled “Eisenhower and the Great War” is now open at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. The exhibit is located in the Library building second floor gallery and runs through March 2018.

“We are pleased to open this exhibit marking the 100th anniversary of World War I. Our goal was to tie together the actions around the world connected to U.S. involvement and more specifically where Eisenhower was during 1914-1918. While Ike was not deployed overseas as he had hoped, his training during WWI clearly set the stage for his role during WWII,” states Tim Rives, acting director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library.

War erupted in Europe in 1914 and soon involved nations around the globe. The Great War as it became known shocked the world with its massive scope and the industrial-like slaughter created by advances in military technology. The United States reluctantly joined the conflict in 1917 and began to build a large professional army from the ground up. One of the young officers who helped in this endeavor was a lieutenant by the name of Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower showed remarkable talent for organization and leadership during the years of American involvement in the war. Tasked with training thousands of inexperienced troops in the new and untested art of armored warfare, Eisenhower quickly built a strong and motivated group of soldiers while overcoming severe obstacles and setbacks. This exhibit tells the story of the Great War and its influence on Eisenhower’s budding leadership abilities. World War I, as it would become known later in the century, proved critical to the making of this American Icon.

Check out their webpage for more info: https://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/

Blair Tarr is the Museum Curator of the Kansas State Historical Society. He oversees the three-dimensional collections of the Society, but has special interests in the Civil War, Wichita-made Valentine diners, and Leavenworth's Abernathy Furniture. In the last few years he has also done a lot of cramming on The Great War. He is a past president of the Kansas Museums Association and the Civil War Round Tables of both Kansas City and Eastern Kansas. He is currently a board member of the Heritage League of Greater Kansas City.