I guess we have all said our goodbyes to the East Wing, but it wasn’t just any old building.
The East Wing was described as a vital part of the presidential White House complex, a highly significant historical building, and one of the most identifiable sections of the White House compound.
The first lady’s office and staff were in the East Wing. The East Wing was formally deemed the official home of the First Lady’s office during First Lady Rosalyn Carter’s stay.
The East Wing was also the public’s entrance to the White House mansion and to the touring sections of the executive offices. The East Wing was the gate or door to the people’s house.
Sorry! This door or gate is gone; the East Wing has been demolished.
First Lady Betty Ford declared, “If the West Wing is the mind of the nation, then the East Wing is the heart.”
Where will the heart of America reside?
The East Wing was not a shack to be torn down.
It was demolished as if it had been a play or dollhouse used by the first ladies, who had their offices and staff there.
The structure was flattened as if President Franklin D. Roosevelt had made a mistake by expanding the wing built by President Theodore Roosevelt to house the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC), an underground bunker for the president. Several presidents, first ladies, and others have sought safety and protection in the bunker.
The building was destroyed as if it were an attached gazebo.
The East Wing was obliterated as if it had no historical significance to the United States.
The structure was eradicated as if it were a malignancy that needed to be cut away and disposed of.
The East wing was destroyed as if it were part of an East-West wing rivalry.
For some, the East Wing was no longer worthy of standing, like the greenhouse it replaced.
The White House complex will never be the same again; the East Wing is gone! Yes, 90,000 square feet of the White House complex is now trash —worthless debris—stuffed into trash bins and hauled to a landfill.
The White House is left with one wing, the West Wing. Losing one wing sounds like a horrible injury that can befall even the Bald Eagle, the national symbol of our nation.
The East Wing was a symbol of America, like the Bald Eagle.
The American Eagle Foundation lists the following reasons why the bald eagle is symbolic of America, the land of the free:
“They are unique to North America, making them our eagle; they are strong and independent; they are survivors. They are majestic, bold, and faithful. They are a symbol of strength and determination.”
The Ball Eagle remains a great symbol of America.
What remains of the picturesque White House complex is 55,000 square feet.
The East Wing was a great symbol of America because of its social, political, and historical changes and progress.
I didn’t get to enter the East Wing during my White House tour several years ago. I toured the Capitol, the National Mall, the African American Museum, and other famous places.
Generations will not be able to tour the East Wing that Lady Betty Ford termed the “heart” of the nation.
Why do I care?
I am an American, and the preservation of American history matters!
I hope you are happy and well.