Founded on integrity and wisdom and courage. We have sought a leader who is of the people. A man raised to leadership by the people. A leader whose whole life was for the people. A sturdy, humble heir to the respect and affection. Such a man is general ike, dwight d. Eisenhower, the man from abilene. Yesterday humble air to the respective affection such a man is like deed wise and how are the man from abilene. The 100 millimeter million americans know eisenhower the way you know a neighbor, you know my heart. Why do we cheer for him . Not because he is a general but instinctively we believe him and hail him as a hometown boy who is all the best of america. His roots are in the heartland, main street usa. I come here first to thank to say the proudest thing i can claim is that i am from abilene. [applause] i want to speak first of the dreams of a barefoot boy. Above all he may reach the position of locomotive engineer. Always in his dreams is that day when finally he comes home, comes home to a welcome from his own hometown. The wheat fields of kansas claim ike as a native stun. But the state of texas stakes their first claim. Denison, texas is where he was born on the red river where texas shakes hands with oklahoma. Dwight David Eisenhower was one of seven sons of deeply religious parents who moved west and brought the bible with an. No matter where duty takes him he likes to get back to home cooking. Even in paris, his kitchen was kansan. His hobbies keep him close to the earth and freshwater. Fishing was his first love and golf is a new love. Only with fish stories did ike use a fishermans right to stretch the truth a little. If you asked eisenhower why he has dedicated the rest of his life to the service of america instead of retiring to take it easy on his farm, he will point to a picture of this baby, a chip off the old block. He would tell you i want my grandson and yours to grow up in a free america. He is proud of his grandchildren, three of them now. You can tell he believes our real first line of defense is the family, and an oldfashioned, well understood american idea and admired in the rest of the world, especially in france. France was the first nation to hail eisenhower for his crusade in europe. Under hitler they faced slavery. This ally likes ike, too. Across the english channel, which hitler could not cross, the people of battered london, who never would yield to the blitz surrendered with a cheer to ike. President eisenhower to every londoner who has taken one of my soldiers into his home, you will always have my profound gratitude. To everyone who has directed one of my men to the marble arch, i owe thanks to them. Churchill spoke for all history to remember. Ladies and gentlemen, you have just seen and listened to the words of a great commander. A man who has proved not only his capacity to organize and regulate the movements of our men, but to stir mens hearts and who has shown a capacity for making great nations march together, more united than ever have been before. By sincerity and simplicity, a kansan conquered britain. Back in america the wife all, the world calls mamie was the first to say, i like ike. The rest of us shouted it too. Not hail the conquering hero but bursting with pride and a great friend, who understands that washington belongs not to a president but to the people. President eisenhower i stand before the elected federal lawmakers of our republic. The very core of our political life and a symbol of those things we call the american heritage. Watch what a country boy can do to the biggest city in the world new york. [cheering] watch the women, watch the young people. Watch all the people who make up the surging independent vote that will mean victory at the polls in, november. Watch them flock and cheer for mister american. New york simply cannot do this to a kansan farmer boy, and keep its reputation for sophistication. [laughter] that is another thing, mr. Mayor, that impressed me very much. As you and i rode down through the cheering crowds this morning, first the reason for the cheering. It was not because one individual, one american came back from war. It is rejoicing that a nasty job is done. One nasty job is it. [applause] that nasty job, the crusade in europe will be remembered by 3 million americans who fought there to keep the war from coming here. These americans will never forget that as allied leader, eisenhower was a fivestar g. I. A soldier with his men as well as a statesman who was a match even for churchill. A commander who suffered the shock of each tragedy, and a soldier who knew the brutality of war, a man who hates poor. From another general, mcarthur, eisenhower learned. When he went to the philippines in 1934, the man mcarthur picked was eisenhower from his achievements, not political promises. Americans know the essence of eisenhower. The american system rests upon the rights and dignity of the individuals. The success of that system depends upon the assumption by each of personal individual responsibility for the safety and welfare of the whole. No government official, no soldier, a united and determined american citizenry is under god the mightiest force the earth has seen. Goodbye and good luck. [applause] out of uniform as president of columbia, eisenhower warned that communism must be fought on every front. In todays struggle, no freeman, no Free Institution can be neutral. All must be joined in a common profession, that of democratic citizenship. There will be no administrative suppression or distortion of any subject that merits a place in the universe. The facts of communism, for example, shall be taught here. Its ideological development, its political message, it economic effects, its probable course in the future, the truth about communism is today an indispensable requirement if the true values of our democratic system are to be properly assessed. [applause] [applause] Young Americans assumed the system with a smile. Just as i am a student with you, so are you a soldier with me. [applause] because you are here fundamentally to prepare yourselves to make this country a greater and better place for yourselves, your children, and all who may come after you. If we are going to have better homes, better working conditions, better of everything for the 140 Million People that make up america, then each of us has a responsibility to defend with his life the liberties, the rights that have brought all these things about and allowed us to enjoy them. By contrast, communism in flames. German youth eisenhower led another crusade in europe, this time to wage peace and prevent a war. To keep them from daring to start another war. This new force for freedom is nato, 14 nations strong. Stretching from norway to greece and turkey. We hear, representatives of many nations, work day by day constantly with these intricate and difficult problems. We have absolute faith that you can do the job. Of course you can do the job. All that is necessary is that each country remember that is only interest is served passed by developing the task must have first priority. We require faith, selfconfidence, devotion, tenacity, always tenacity. In this atomic age and times far more explosive than anything in lincolns day, the world is divided once more, half slave half free. We are now is the leader who can inspire americans already under arms in korea . A leader who can and that war with victory and prevent its spread into a bigger war . Where is the leader in america who can sustain and inspire our allies already fighting the common enemy. On asians jungle fronts. In this age of hate and violence, the communists stir up riots that rip through the cities of europe. This one in italy. The cities of the middle east the reds rile the people. Where is there a leader with the skill and tenacity to teach the enemy to call each other neighbor again . Who can end the violence abroad and here at home too . Who can unite instead of divide this nation . At a time where 80 of every americans budget dollar goes in defense of our freedom, where is the man of wisdom and experience who can get the most security for every military dollar . Enlighten the staggering burden of taxes, which could bankrupt americans. Save stalling the risk of starting a war. Who is the one man stalin most respects and fears as the leader of the united energies of this free nation . Instinctive americans know the answer. As a bewildered and divided people sought lincoln centuries ago and we think decades ago, and we think eisenhower now. From every horizon, from women and youth, farms and factories, even from democrats who place principle above party, for all the a century has brought new slavery. But there is a new lincoln to meet the challenge. Mr. America, dwight david a eisenhower. For you know next, Dwight Eisenhower accepts his president ial nomination at the 1952