Ike’s Parka from His 1952 Korea Visit Now on Display
December 1, 2022
The National Park Service has announced that it acquired a rare artifact through the philanthropic support of the Gettysburg Foundation—the winter parka that President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower wore during a secret visit to Korea in December 1952. The National Park Service unveiled the parka in a new temporary exhibit at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center during the Gettysburg Foundation Gala Nov. 18, 2022.
To commemorate Eisenhower's visit and this historic moment in the Korean War, Eisenhower National Historic Site created a new temporary exhibit, the winter parka, which Eisenhower wore on his secret trip to Korea. This army issue parka is now featured in the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center. The parka exhibit will remain on display through July 2023, the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.
Eisenhower Presidential Library Photo
This display was made possible through the Gettysburg Foundation's support and its partnership with the National Park Service at Gettysburg. The Foundation acquired this parka at an auction earlier this year and donated it to Eisenhower National Historic Site. In addition to the parka, the Gettysburg Foundation also acquired multiple drafts of a statement Eisenhower made upon his return to Korea. These drafts are now also part of the Eisenhower National Historic Site's museum collection.
This new temporary exhibit is part of Eisenhower National Historic Site’s commemoration and interpretation of the Korean War and its impact on our world today.
Read the National Park Service press release.