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Junior Ranger Kieran describes the family’s visit to Eisenhower National Historic Site (NHS) in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for World War II Weekend 2019.  He reviews President Eisenhower’s biography before becoming President and explains that the farm served as a much-needed retreat during his Presidency. Junior Ranger Kieran describes some details about the site, including the timeline associated with the Eisenhowers donating it to the National Park Service. The family’s tour of the home includes a viewing of several original paintings by President Eishenhower.  Eisenhower, inspired by Prime Minister Winston Churchill,  began painting at age 58, and was quite talented (https://www.whitehousehistory.org/president-eisenhower-the-painter).

The importance of the farm as a site for personal diplomacy is a focus of the podcast. President Eishenhower was a big believer in face-to-face interactions and he hosted many important world leaders at the farm during his Presidency, including Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru, Premier Khrushchev, and many others. (https://www.google.com/books/edition/Eisenhower_s_Gettysburg_Farm/vwspDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=what+did+eisenhower+say+about+diplomacy+at+his+farm&pg=PA77&printsec=frontcover)

By visiting on World War II Weekend, the family had the chance to observe and interact with 500+ living historians and volunteers. There are brief interviews with a few of these historians, as well as Ranger Lydia from the Eisenhower NHS, included in the podcast.

Follow our journey on our website (ExpeditionNationalParks.com) and social media - @ExpeditionNPS on Twitter, @ExpeditionNationalParks on Instagram and please like our Facebook page.  Please check back for new episodes on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.