Pentagon Chief Eager to Display Eisenhower's Globe in His Office, but Relic Was Damaged en Route
As reported by The Washington Post and other American media, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wanted to move a historical artifact – the famous globe of General Dwight Eisenhower, which he used during World War II – into his office. However, the minister's staff damaged the globe while attempting to move it within the Pentagon, writes the BBC.
The Pentagon houses two globes which, according to informed sources, Eisenhower used during World War II. Both were manufactured in the 1930s. Subsequent generations of American military leaders preserved these historical relics.
Hegseth was interested in the historical significance of the items, and his staff requested to move one of the globes, which has a diameter of about 70 centimeters, into the minister's office.
Typically, the relocation of historical exhibits in the Pentagon is carefully planned and carried out under the supervision of specially trained curators. However, Hegseth's staff decided to organize the transfer themselves. During this attempt, they lost control of the globe and dropped it.
According to sources, the globe fell onto its own stand, which punctured it in the area of Antarctica. As a result, a hole about 10 centimeters wide was formed.
Pentagon representatives did not provide The Washington Post with photographs of the damaged globe and did not allow journalists to personally inspect the artifact. However, the publication still obtained an image of the damage.
The US Army confirmed that the globe was damaged on February 3 during an attempt to move it. According to its representative, Christopher Serridge, in addition to the hole, the spherical part of the globe became detached from the metal mounting that allowed it to rotate.
As a result, the damaged relic was never moved to Hegseth's office. When asked about the employees involved in the relocation, Serridge advised contacting the minister's office. Hegseth's own representatives declined to comment on the incident.
Following the publication of the material on October 22, a Pentagon representative also confirmed the incident. The department's statement said that accidents happen, and expressed satisfaction that no one was harmed, and the globe is now being repaired. The cost of the repair and when it will be completed were not disclosed.
According to sources, the military unit responsible for storing the globe had planned to consult with specialists from the US Army Center of Military History to determine how to safely transport the artifact.
However, employees of this historical unit were temporarily sent on unpaid leave due to a partial government shutdown. When they were unable to contact experts, Hegseth's staff decided to move the globe themselves.
It remains unclear why they did not wait for specialist assistance. The partial government shutdown, which prevented consultation, ended on the very day the globe was damaged. According to one of the publication's informed interlocutors, one of the obvious reasons for the haste was "a lack of patience."
The incident immediately became a topic of gossip and jokes in the Pentagon. Some employees saw it as a manifestation of overconfidence and a fascination with World War II nostalgia — traits that, in their opinion, characterize Hegseth's tenure as head of the military department.
Pete Hegseth, a former National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, calls his position "Secretary of War." Last year, he implemented Donald Trump's executive order to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War. This restored the name that was used from 1789 to 1947.
"Since President Harry Truman's time, when the department became the Department of Defense, we have not won a single major war," Hegseth stated last year.
Congress, however, has not yet approved the name change.
In photographs obtained by The Washington Post, a plaque is visible next to the damaged globe. It states that this is one of two "Eisenhower globes" that the US Army preserves in the Pentagon.
Eisenhower was known for his love of globes. In numerous historical photographs, he is pictured posing next to them.
During World War II, General Dwight Eisenhower played a crucial role in the defeat of Nazi Germany. Among the key operations under his command was the Allied landing in Normandy in 1944.
After concluding his military career, Eisenhower became President of the United States and led the country from 1953 to 1961, during the initial period of the Cold War.
Retired General Ty Seidule, who taught history at the US Military Academy at West Point, expressed regret over the damage to the historical globe.
"Hegseth wants to have an Eisenhower totem, to be like Ike — a man who was great both in war and in peacetime," said Seidule.
"Hegseth is not Ike. The globe will not imbue him with Ike's qualities like modesty, intelligence, and prudence," the general added.
It is unknown whether Hegseth personally ordered the globe to be moved, or if the decision was made by another high-ranking official in his office. It also remains unclear whether the minister's assistants had all the necessary materials and means for the safe transportation of the historical artifact.
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Comments
У Пентагоне захоўваюцца два глобусы, якімі, паводле звестак дасведчаных крыніц, карыстаўся Эйзенхаўэр падчас Другой сусветнай вайны."
Один уже разбили. Осталось потерять второй, и наличие русских корней у нынешней администрации Пентагона можно будет считать доказанным. Ну, как минимум происхождение от той же самой очень особенной породы обезьян, с той же лишней хромосомой.
Интересно, как это произошло технически. Они его катили?