See the new Eisenhower Memorial before Thursday dedication

Architect Frank Gehry’s tribute to Eisenhower features three bronze sculptures by Sergey Eylanbekov, stone bas-relief images and inscription panels with words from throughout Eisenhower’s career. The statues depict stages of his life, starting with boyhood in Kansas. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)

As Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War II, Eisenhower led the invasion of Normandy, a turning point in the war. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial is located south of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum along Independence Avenue. (Courtesy Google Maps)

In his two terms as 34th president of the United States, Eisenhower is credited with spurring advances in education, transportation and exploration. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)

Perhaps most notable is a stainless steel woven tapestry framing the memorial by artist Tomas Osinski, which depicts the cliffs of Point du Hoc on the Normandy coastline in peacetime. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)

The memorial was commissioned by Congress in 1999 and built by the Eisenhower Memorial Commission. Among guests invited to Thursday’s ceremony include President Donald Trump, current and former members of Congress, Cabinet members, military leaders, and the Eisenhower family.

The National Park Service will operate the memorial once it opens to the public on Friday. The dedication ceremony will be livestreamed on Facebook.