EISENHOWER FOUNDATION LAUNCHES IKE’S SOLDIERS TO HONOR WORLD WAR II VETERANS IN CELEBRATION OF THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY

As the 75th Anniversary of D-Day fast approaches on June 6, 2019, the Eisenhower Foundation turned to the words and thoughts of Dwight D. Eisenhower and asked themselves, what would Ike want us to do to commemorate this important anniversary? He would want the honor to be given to the World War II soldiers who served, not himself. So, from this direction, a new program was created: Ike’s Soldiers.

The mission of Ike’s Soldiers is to honor Dwight D. Eisenhower’s legacy through the compelling stories of the soldiers he led, and to share them with the world through IKEducation programs and digital media platforms. “This initiative provides students, teachers, historians, and citizens of the world the opportunity to become part of history by collecting and submitting these stories to the Eisenhower Foundation’s new Ike’s Soldiers database,” stated Meredith Sleichter, Executive Director, Eisenhower Foundation. “By doing so, we honor the soldiers that led us to one of the biggest victories in world history, and provide future generations with the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts about the experience. Ike would like that!”

Former Kansas Senator, Bob Dole was interviewed by Ike’s Soldiers in collaboration with Witness to War to share his story. He shared, “I am pleased that the Ike’s Soldiers initiative is capturing these compelling stories of World War II veterans. For our disappearing generation, these first-hand accounts will ensure that history is preserved – reminding future generations of the sacrifices made to preserve our everyday freedoms.”

Senator Bob Dole sat down with Ike’s Soldiers to share his story of serving in World War II.

Ike’s Soldiers has several components all designed to honor our World War II veterans and tell their stories. The general program is open to any individual that wants to conduct and submit an interview with a World War II Veteran. Their contributions will be displayed in the Ike’s Soldiers database and used to develop IKEducation programs that will use these first-hand accounts to captivate and teach young people for future generations about World War II. Details on how to submit a veteran’s story can be found at: www.ikessoldiers.com. Ike’s Soldiers is committed to storing the interviews and artifacts in a format that current and future generations of students, historians, and family members of World War II veterans can connect with. In addition to presenting these stories in the database, Ike’s Soldiers is committed to sharing these stories through social media and mass media platforms with a desire to share these important stories and legacies in a contemporary format.

World War II Veteran, Nick Scordino, shared his account of the 429th Fighter Squadron’s role during the D-Day invasion in an interview with Ike’s Soldiers.

One of the driving forces behind Ike’s Soldiers is inviting young people to get involved. The Ike’s Soldiers student program is open to high school and college students. Participants are asked to skillfully capture and edit videos according to Eisenhower Foundation’s guidelines. For every interview that is submitted according to the guidelines, Eisenhower Foundation will grant $50 to the student who conducted and produced the interview.

The mission of the non-profit, public Eisenhower Foundation is to honor and champion the relevance today of the life and leadership of Dwight D. Eisenhower through compelling programs and events that celebrate his legacy. Donations to the Eisenhower Foundation provide funding to support programs like Ike’s Soldiers and IKEducation, as well as the exhibits, educational programs, and events at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home in Abilene, Kansas.

For more information please contact: Teddi Domann at info@ikessoldiers.com. Check out all things Ike’s Soldiers at www.ikessoldiers.com and on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @ikessoldiers.