“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Memorial For Ike…
Manny P. here…
Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole is planning an ambitious fundraising effort to build the long-debated Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, and he will have help from Tom Hanks, Tom Brokaw, and others. Dole aims to raise $150 million in private funds, if necessary, to build the memorial after more than 15 years of planning.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER ROBERT DOLE
The 92-year-old World War II veteran says it’s time to honor Ike, the 34th President and Supreme Allied Commander during World War II, and his longtime hero. Organizers hope to create I Still Like Ike clubs nationwide to support the memorial. Every Saturday, Dole visits the World War II Memorial in Washington to welcome veterans. He is gathering petitions signed by veterans to support the Eisenhower project and is looking for support from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.
The Eisenhower project has won final approval for architect Frank Gehry’s design, and now must raise the funds to begin construction. Congress already appropriated $60 million for design and planning. Gehry designed a memorial park with statues of Eisenhower as a general, president, and a man from Kansas. A large metal tapestry will serve as a backdrop, depicting the Kansas landscape of Ike’s boyhood home. The park would be situated among federal agencies near the National Mall, facing the National Air and Space Museum.
Dole pledges to work the phones and write fundraising letters. Next week, he’ll visit the Kansas State Fair and greet visitors at a booth promoting the memorial. Dole is also amassing a network of support, calling on former presidents, congressional leaders, and cabinet officials to join the effort. Brokaw, the NBC newsman, signed on this summer. Hanks is also joining the memorial’s advisory committee. The filmmaker and actor from Saving Private Ryan also worked with Dole to help lead the fundraising effort for the World War II Memorial.
TOM BROKAW TOM HANKS
Hollywood and Americana intersect in a metaphorical Hollywood-and-Vine moment.
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Sunday, September 13th, 2015 at 12:56 am and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
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