Evening star., 1945-06-22
|HomefoIks Of Abilene
Welcome Eisenhower
with Pageant Parade
By the Associated Press.


ABILENE, Kans., June 22.-Gen.
Eisenhower, who had many narrow
escapes from death or injury as he
directed millions through three years
of warfare, turned up casualty on
his homecoming day.
The general was limping notice
ably as the result of fall last night
on the Topeka railroad platform,
where he got of to greet group of
Purple Heart soldiers. The train
started off without him, and as the
general started to run for it, he fell
and injured his leg rather severely
The train was halted for several
minutes while the general was
helped aboard and the injury treat
ed. Overnight, the sprain gave him
a noticeable limp.
General Sleeps Late.
Gen. Eisenhower slept aboard the
private car that brought him from
Kansas City and for the first time
in week slept late, arising just be-
fore 9 am. for the big parade that
got under way in his home town at
10 m.
The Allied commander rode at the
head Of the parade, preceded only
by two horsemen, the color guard
and the Abilene Cowboy Band.
When his car reached the Lamer
Hotel he left it and mounted to a
reviewing stand at the hotel en-
trance.
Then, for nearly two hours, Abb
lene, Dickinson County and all Of
Central Kansas paid honor to the
general.
Directly behind his car came
marching war veterans and then a
float carrying Purple Heart vet
Grams. They were followed by the
Gold Star Mothers, American War
Dads, the American Legion and
Legion Auxiliary.
Dozens of bands were interspersed
In the line of march and military
planes roared overhead.
Salutes Every Flag.
Ike, wreathed in smiles and salut-
ing stiffly every flag that passed,
got his biggest thrill from a float
carrying the football team OF 1909
on which he played. Ten former
Abilene High School students who
played with Ike on that team were
on the float, with his old position
at left tackle left vacant. Also on
the float was his old high school
coach, Orrin Snider, now a farmer
living near Abilene.
Edgar big Ike" Eisenhower, half
back, now attorney at Tacoma, also
played on this team. Gen. Eisen-
hover was Little Ike" to his as
sociates in those days.
Hi, boys" Gen. Eisenhower yelled
from cupped hands as this float
passed in reviews
Preceding it were two OF Ike's
old school teachers here when he
was a child. He yelled them a
greeting as they rode by.
Gen. Eisenhower class motto
was mot at the top, but climbing"
and float conveyed this motto.
1t was recalled here that in the
class prophesy it was predicted Gen.
Eisenhower would become a great
historian.
Gen. Eisenhower got a big laugh
as a float showing him carrying ice
as a youngster at Belle Springs
rolled by. His father was an en-
gineer there.
A large agricultural section of
floats featured the middle part of
the parade. In this the DEVELOPMENT
OF farming, from scrub bulls and
crude horse-drawn implements of
Gen. Eisenhower's youth here to
bloooed stock and great mechanical
reapers, was portrayed. Combines,
corn pickers, mobile hay balers, con-
tour and terracing implements were
in the line.
The development OF agriculture,
particularly dairying, and wheat,
corn and alfalfa was given with fig
ures showing Dickinson County's
wartime production.
1t was Hello, Bill" and Hello,
Bud" to his friends as the general
stepped from the train last night
and shook hands with the IL men,
bers OF the Reception Committee.
He called them all by name.
Already, he's received the key to
the city, beribboned token given
him by Mayor H. F. Strowig when
he stepped of the train last night
after a triumphal ride from Kansas
City, with hundreds waiting to see
him at each station along the way.
|