A globe used by 34th US President Dwight D. Eisenhower as an US Army general in World War II was on display at the Pentagon for years. A report now claims it was damaged after the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's staff tried to move it to his office.
The globe is one of two “Eisenhower globes" used by the former president during his tenure with the Army that are displayed at the Pentagon. The Washington Post reported that in February, the globe was dropped on the base of its wooden frame, which resulted in a puncture at the bottom where Antarctica is located. It was not immediately clear from the report if Hegseth ordered the globe to be moved or if one of his staffers did it.
The report noted that the damaged globe was used by Eisenhower while serving as the Chief of the War Plans Division from February to March 1942 and as the chief of the Operations Division from March to June 1942.
“They lost control of the artifact and dropped it, sending the globe crashing on to its base and impaling the fragile shell near Antarctica,” one of the sources told WaPo.
{{/usCountry}}“They lost control of the artifact and dropped it, sending the globe crashing on to its base and impaling the fragile shell near Antarctica,” one of the sources told WaPo.
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It also cited an email from Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge which confirmed that the globe was damaged in an “attempted move.” Sturridge confirmed that “the spherical portion of the globe was detached from the metal mounting that allows it to rotate.” The exact damage was not confirmed in the email.
The revelation has caused political stir, with Pete Hegseth facing questions over the incident. According to the Washington Post, the incident happened when the US was going through a partial government shutdown and multiple employees were furloughed.
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Pentagon Official Acknowledges Incident
A Pentagon official has acknowledged the incident in a statement to USA Today saying that it was replica globe what was being transported by the agency's staff "as part of its relocation."
"Accidents happen, we are grateful no one was harmed, and the globe is being repaired," the staff added, without clarifying the details of the damage or whether Hegseth wanted it moved to his office.
The Pentagon has said that the globe is now being repaired. It is unclear how much that will cost the agency.