Aides to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth damaged a historic World War II-era globe that belonged to Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower during a botched attempt to move the artifact into Hegseth’s office, U.S. officials confirmed.
The incident occurred in February at the Pentagon after Hegseth requested that the 30-inch floor globe be brought to his workspace, The Washington Post first reported. Instead of waiting for certified military curators to transport the fragile object, several members of Hegseth’s staff attempted to haul it themselves, dropping it and puncturing a hole near Antarctica, according to officials who spoke with NBC News and NPR.
Botched Relocation Leaves Artifact Damaged
The globe, mounted inside a large wooden framework, had been kept in a senior Army operations directorate suite inside the Pentagon and cataloged by the U.S. Army Center of Military History. The sphere dates to the mid-1930s and was utilized by Eisenhower while he planned Allied operations during World War II, including the June 1944 Normandy landings.
Officials familiar with the incident told reporters that aides lost control of the sphere, sending it crashing against its base. The impact tore a hole several inches wide in the fragile surface and broke the sphere free from its spinning apparatus.
“The spherical portion of the globe was detached from the metal mounting that allows it to rotate,” Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge confirmed, noting that the artifact never completed its trip to Hegseth’s office.
Under normal military protocol, historical artifacts displayed within the Pentagon are relocated by trained specialists from the Army Center of Military History. However, professional movers were not immediately available in February because of budget gridlock and a partial government shutdown, Radar Online and NPR reported. Impatient aides opted to handle the relocation on their own rather than wait for specialists to return, sources said.
Dispute Over Authenticity and Historical Value
A Pentagon spokesperson downplayed the severity of the incident, claiming the damaged object was not an original piece.
“An accident occurred while staff were transporting a replica of the Eisenhower globe as part of its relocation. Accidents happen, we are grateful no one was harmed, and the globe is being repaired,” the official said in a statement.
However, NBC News reported that three U.S. officials and photographic evidence confirmed the item was indeed an authentic artifact used by Eisenhower. The globe holds particular historical significance because it features green ink notations hand-marked by Eisenhower across regions of Europe during the war.
The mishap sparked strong criticism from military historians who noted the stark contrast between Eisenhower’s reputation for meticulous planning and the rushed attempt to move the relic.
“Accidents happen, but accidents don’t happen if you plan and you get the right people to do it, all the things that Ike did throughout his career,” retired Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, a history professor at Hamilton College, told NPR.
Specialized moving firms previously hired by the Army had designed custom protective crating to transport similar Eisenhower globes between facilities, illustrating the extreme care required to handle the fragile relics. Officials confirmed that the damaged globe remains under restoration as conservators attempt to repair the punctured shell.
