Photo By Zachary Mott | MARION, Ohio (July 16, 2016) – Staff Sgt. David Lambermont, 338th Army Band bugler,...... read more read more
Subscribe
Celebrating the legacy of President Warren G. Harding brought Soldiers, local leaders, family members, historians and local residents to this small, central Ohio town as a wreath was placed at the Harding Memorial, July 16, in the town he called home from the time he was 18.
As the sun peaked into the circular marble structure, our 29th President was remembered for his deeds and the enduring legacy he left behind following his sudden death in August 1923 – less than 30 months into his first term.
“His vision reaches across generations all the way to us today. Giving the leaders of today a strong foundation from which to build and a greater goal to reach,” said Brig. Gen. Stephen E. Strand, deputy commanding general for 88th Regional Support Command and representing President Barack Obama during the ceremony. “We are grateful, as a nation, to be able to stand upon those foundations and see further down the path to peace and prosperity.”
During his time as president, Harding was the first president to submit a budget to congress. Additionally, Harding and his wife, Florence, helped establish the Veterans Bureau for World War I veterans. This would later lead to the Veterans Administration and the continued care to American veterans.
Harding was a man who was passionate about helping everyday people. From his front porch campaign, Harding spoke to more than 600,000 people who stood on his gravel-covered lawn to hear him speak and share their concerns for the country. He desire to help everyday Americans continued throughout his presidency.
“He wanted to take the administration’s ideas and policies to us and see how they were affecting each of us in our own lives,” said Sherry Hall, the Harding Home and Memorial site director. “He wanted our feedback, was the government helping or hindering?”
It was that belief that led Harding to travel to the western United States and Canada – he wanted to find out first-hand how the policies he enacted were affecting every citizen. It was during this trip that Harding grew weak and later died. However, the legacy he created remains to this day.
“Every president has touched the nation is some significant way. President Harding is certainly no exception,” Strand said. “His contributions as our 29th president set the tone for sweeping economic and social changes in the 1920s and had a profound and lasting impact on our country.”
The weather allowed for sun to shine on both Harding and Florence’s gravesites, which sit at the center of the more than 85,000 square foot structure, a fact that was not lost on the family’s representative who spoke at the ceremony.
“The president would have loved to have been here this morning,” said Dr. Warren G. Harding III, the great nephew of the former president. “He loved the people and the city of Marion. He loved Ohio. He loved our great nation and he loved his family.”
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2016 09:05 |
| Story ID: | 204166 |
| Location: | MARION, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Wreathlaying Marks Annual Celebration for Warren G. Harding, by Zachary Mott, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT