Eisenhower's WWII Globe Damaged During Pentagon Move

A 30-inch floor globe that belonged to General Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II sustained damage when aides to Pete Hegseth attempted to move it into his Pentagon office in early February. The moving crew lost control of the artifact, causing it to crash onto its base and tear a gash several inches wide near Antarctica. The fall also dislodged the sphere from its metal frame.

Hegseth's staff had requested the globe, which a plaque dates to the 1930s, due to its wartime significance. Typically, historic items at the Pentagon are handled by trained curators, and the Army office responsible for the globe had planned to enlist experts from the U.S. Army Center of Military History for its safe transfer and documentation.

However, those historians were furloughed at the time due to a partial government shutdown over immigration policy. Sources suggest that an element of impatience may have contributed to Hegseth's team proceeding with their own crew. The government shutdown concluded on the same day the globe was damaged. It remains unclear whether Hegseth personally authorized the move or if another senior official in his office approved it.

Pentagon officials declined to allow photographs or inspection of the damaged globe. However, images obtained by The Washington Post reportedly show the hole, with debris scattered on the carpet below.

The incident has become a source of Pentagon corridor jokes, with some officials viewing it as emblematic of Hegseth's assertive style and his interest in World War II history. Hegseth, a former National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, currently styles himself as Secretary of War, following an order to reinstate the department's pre-1947 name, a change not approved by Congress.

A card accompanying the globe indicates it was likely used by Eisenhower in 1942, during his leadership of the Army's War Plans Division and then its Operations Division. Another Eisenhower globe is located in the Army chief of staff's office and reportedly still bears markings made by Eisenhower and General Omar Bradley.

The damaged globe incident occurs as Hegseth faces scrutiny for his management of the war with Iran, which began shortly after the globe's mishap. Hegseth asserted in the spring that regime change in Iran had occurred, despite the ongoing presence and actions of the Revolutionary Guards.