Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / May 7 757 I recommend that the Senate give prompt essary to rename this bill—this building in and favorable consideration to the Conven- honor of Dwight Eisenhower. tion and give its advice and consent to ratifi- And above all, we welcome the Eisen- cation, subject to the understandings de- hower family and send our good wishes to scribed in the accompanying report of the John Eisenhower, who could not be with us Secretary of State, at the earliest possible today. As the son of a President, myself, I date. know how proud John must feel, knowing that our country’s respect for his father has George W. Bush only increased with the years. The White House, The city of Washington is accustomed to May 6, 2002. change, but this neighborhood looks much as it did in 1929. If you’d walked down Penn- NOTE: This message was released by the Office sylvania Avenue 73 years ago, you would have of the Press Secretary on May 7. seen the Renwick Building on the corner of 17th Street, looking just as it does now. A few doors down were the Blair and Lee Remarks at the Dedication Houses, with gas lamps still out front. Ceremony To Rename the Dwight D. In 1929, Lafayette Square was dominated Eisenhower Executive Office by a great bronze horse, as it is today, proudly Building carrying Andrew Jackson. And standing out- May 7, 2002 side this building on a spring morning 73 years ago, you might have seen Dwight Ei- Thank you very much. Please be seated. senhower pull up in a 1927 Buick and walk Well, thank you all very much. And thank up the stairs to his office. you, Susan, for those kind words, and wel- The twenties and thirties were quiet times come. for our Army and Navy, quiet times when On behalf of all Americans, I am proud he worked here. But it was in this building to dedicate this historic building to the last- that Dwight Eisenhower’s reputation began ing memory of a great man, Dwight David to grow. His immediate supervisor said of Eisenhower. him this—said this of him: ‘‘This is the best I want to thank Secretary Powell and Dep- officer in the Army. When the next war uty Secretary Wolfowitz, Administrator comes, he should go right to the top.’’ These Perry, General Hicks, for their kind words. words carried a lot of weight; after all, the I’m also pleased to have so many special man who said them was Douglas MacArthur. guests who are here. I don’t see—I do see He also worked here for many years in Senator Stevens. I’m so honored that Senator room 252. There was a time when a visitor Ted Stevens, who actually worked in the Ei- to this building might pass in the hallway not senhower administration, is here. And I want only Eisenhower and MacArthur but the first to welcome all the others who worked in man commissioned General of the Armies of this—in the Eisenhower administration to the United States, John J. Pershing. General this dedication ceremony. Welcome. Pershing occupied room 274, a space now I also want to welcome General Andrew used by Vice President Dick Cheney. Goodpaster, Senator Bob Dole, and all the Two doors down is an office that Theodore other veterans of World War II. We’re Roosevelt would still recognize as his own pleased to have you here. It’s a pleasure to from his time as Assistant Secretary of the welcome back former Secretary of State Navy. So would Franklin Roosevelt, who, a Henry Kissinger. I want to thank Members generation later, occupied the same office of the United States Congress, Senator and walked these very same halls. And in be- Inouye, Congressman Amo Houghton, Jerry tween, from 1904 to 1908, William Howard Moran, Jim Ryun, Congressman Steve Horn. Taft reported to work here as the Secretary And I too want to say how much we appre- of the War. In all, as has been mentioned, ciate the work of former Senator John seven future Presidents have worked in this Chafee, who introduced the legislation nec- building; 25 Presidents have known it. 758 May 7 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 Harry S. Truman held press conferences felt a lot better knowing that it was his call in an ornate room two stories high called the to make. Indian Treaty Room—although no Indian General Eisenhower understood exactly treaty has ever been signed there. And it was what risks lay ahead. Had his troops failed Truman, himself, who paid a distinctive trib- to take the beaches, he was going to point ute to this building when a committee sug- a finger straight at himself. Here’s what he gested it be torn down. He believed we ought wrote, in advance: ‘‘If any blame or fault at- to leave it right here. He said, ‘‘It’s the great- taches to the attempt, it is mine alone.’’ Fifty- est monstrosity in America.’’ seven years ago this very day, General Eisen- But it was Eisenhower who decided its hower reported that the mission of the Allied fate. He said he rather liked it. And over force was fulfilled, and the war in Europe time, a lot of us have come to like it. The was over. architectural grace of this building will re- In victory, he was the first to share credit. main a matter of opinion, but its place in It was not within his character to do other- history and its place on the skyline of Wash- wise. His Vice President, Richard Nixon, said ington is as safe as can be. this about General Eisenhower—President It seems odd that with all the history it Eisenhower: ‘‘He always retained a saving contains, this great building went more than humility.’’ ‘‘It was the humility,’’ Nixon said, a century without a name befitting its dignity. ‘‘not of fear but of confidence. He walked We’ve solved that problem today, and we’ve with the great of the world, and he knew solved it once and for all. This building now that the great are human. His was the humil- bears the name of Dwight D. Eisenhower, ity of man before God and before the truth. not because it was spared from the wrecking His was the humility of a man too proud to ball in his time, not even because he was be arrogant.’’ the first President born in Texas. [Laughter] His name fits this building because, as a great In his career, Dwight Eisenhower faced soldier, a great President, and a good man, two great crises of the 20th century: a world Dwight D. Eisenhower served his country war that came upon America with a sudden with distinction. attack, requiring a global response, and a cold People over a certain age will always asso- war that tested our patience and resolve to ciate Dwight Eisenhower with a time of wage a struggle of decades. strength and a time of stability in America. In our time, we face elements of both, an We think of the fifties and in the mind’s eye enemy that strikes suddenly and must be we see the President and his fine wife, pursued across the years. And in this strug- Mamie. They had lived a military life, moving gle, we know how victory will be gained, be- more than 30 times. And just as GIs in the cause President Eisenhower—and General fifties across America were settling back Eisenhower—showed us the way. We will be home, so were the Eisenhowers. As a matter calm and confident and relentless. With the of fact, they would live longer in the White best of America’s character, we will defeat House here than at any other address. America’s enemies. We don’t need to idolize the era they rep- We are proceeding with patience and re- resented to see all the good things that were solve to overcome this growing danger to the there: millions of growing families and indus- civilized world. NATO, the grand alliance tries and new cities and the beginnings of first commanded by General Eisenhower, is the life that we know today. part of a new coalition that is making steady Had he never become President, Eisen- progress on every front. Our mission in Af- hower would still be known to all as the lead- ghanistan continues even after we have liber- er of the forces that liberated a continent ated that country from a brutal regime. We from a terrible evil. The turning point of the continue to fight Al Qaida terrorists, and we war was the decision to invade the coast of will prevent them from regrouping else- France. The decision was made by Roosevelt where. and Churchill; the day and hour were left We’ll deny terrorists the safe havens they to General Eisenhower. And a lot of people need to operate and choke off their sources Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / May 7 759 of money and supplies. We’ll confront dan- I want peace; our Government wants peace; gerous regimes that seek weapons of mass the Prime Minister is interested in peace, of destruction. In this war we will depend on course. And we had a good discussion about the alertness of our law enforcement, the how to move forward. diligence of our intelligence operations, and One of the things that I think is impor- on the skill and valor of the American Armed tant—the Prime Minister has discussed this Forces.