WASHINGTON — It’s never too early to prep for Christmas: the White House already has its official ornament.
The ornament, a helicopter, pays homage to 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was the first sitting president to fly in a helicopter in 1957; he flew in both the Army and Marine Corps.
The helicopter has a Presidential Seal on one side and Eisenhower’s five-star rank on the other, honoring his two terms as Commander in Chief and his military service as a general in the U.S. Army, according to a news release from the White House Historical Association.
Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin is this year’s first-ever official supporter of the ornament. Sikorsky, a Lockheed company, has built every presidential helicopter from the Eisenhower administration to today.
The ornament is the 38th official ornament, which continues the tradition of honoring the presidents in sequential order.
It’s available online and at the White House History Shop (1610 H Street NW) and the White House Visitor Center (1450 Pennsylvania Ave. NW).
