Dwight D. Eisenhower photo

Remarks at the Pennsylvania Monument, Gettysburg National Military Park

October 23, 1954

My friends:

I was raised in a profession in which it was a sin ever to be surprised. But someone handed this thing to my hand just this minute, and I am a little bit astonished because I didn't know I was just to drive up here to start to talking.

As I drove on this battlefield just now, it occurred to me, what a spot in which to remind ourselves how much we all want peace. And I want to say this to you folks: today there is going on over in Europe negotiations for which I personally have the greatest of hope. I believe that there we may find that our Secretary of State is able to come back with assurances to us that will add a very great deal to our peace of mind. Certainly I prayerfully hope so, and I wanted to tell you about those hopes.

I came up today because I learned that I was going to meet a lot of friends--some of them, possibly, also political friends--over at my farm. And so Mrs. Eisenhower and I decided to drive up there. Then they said, "Will you pass by the Pennsylvania Monument?" And I said, "Why not, because we are going to be citizens of Pennsylvania soon, we hope."

This is the way we have the great privilege of meeting with you folks today. We are of course in a political campaign now. I am not going to say one word about it. This is a nonpolitical meeting so far as I am concerned. I hope you are neighbors. I hope you are people we will get to see a lot of in the days to come. And if all October days in Pennsylvania are this nice, I tell you we have new reason for coming. And I assure you that one of the things we are looking forward to, more than anything else in our lives, is when that day comes that we can go over here and settle down back of Round Top, and begin to raise a few cows Of our own.

In the meantime, thank you all for coming out. It is a great privilege to meet you. We are going on, as I say, over to the farm now, where I believe we are expected.

To each of you, good luck and thanks.

Note: The President spoke at 12:30 p.m.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, Remarks at the Pennsylvania Monument, Gettysburg National Military Park Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/232971

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