Pete Hegseth Wanted Eisenhower's Priceless WWII Globe in His Office: Staff Moved It Without Experts and Broke It

A historic globe associated with General Dwight D Eisenhower's Second World War service was damaged during an attempted move to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's Pentagon office, highlighting the risks of relocating military artefacts without specialist support.

The incident occurred on 3 February 2026, when staff attempted to move the 30-inch globe during a partial US government shutdown. The sphere became detached from its rotating metal mount, and photographs published months later showed a sizeable damaged area near Antarctica.

The Pentagon described the object as a replica and said it was being repaired. However, NBC News reported that interviews with three US officials and a photograph supported the identification of the damaged globe as the original. Its provenance remains disputed in the public record.

The Globe's Connection to Eisenhower

The globe dates to the 1930s and is one of two similar floor globes housed at the Pentagon. Its reported connection to Eisenhower gives it historical significance beyond its age or financial value.

Eisenhower served as supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe and oversaw planning for the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944. The globe reportedly bears green markings associated with wartime planning, although the significance and authorship of those markings should not be treated as conclusively established.

A plaque accompanying the globe reportedly links it to Eisenhower's service on the Army General Staff in 1942, including his time in the War Plans and Operations divisions. The attribution has been described as a popular theory, rather than an indisputable fact. The Pentagon's claim that the damaged object is a replica adds a further question about its identity.

Why the Attempted Move Went Wrong

Hegseth reportedly expressed a desire to have the globe moved to his office. According to accounts of the incident, staff attempted the relocation while specialist historical personnel were unavailable because of the partial government shutdown.

The globe was dropped during the attempt, damaging its shell and separating it from the metal mount. It was not successfully relocated to Hegseth's office, and the incident raised questions about whether the move should have proceeded without specialist guidance.

Army spokesman Christopher Surridge acknowledged the damage, stating, 'The spherical portion of the globe was detached from the metal mounting that allows it to rotate.'

The available reporting does not establish that anyone intended to damage the object, or that Hegseth personally directed the staff involved in the move. The Pentagon characterised the incident as an accident and said no one was harmed.

A Previous Relocation Offers a Point of Comparison

A similar Eisenhower globe was moved between Army facilities in Alabama in 2022 by Craters & Freighters, a specialist packing and moving company. The company used purpose-built protective crating for that relocation, illustrating the preparation that can be required when transporting historic objects.

The 2022 move involved a different globe, so it cannot establish which specific precautions would have prevented the Pentagon damage. It does, however, provide a practical example of specialist handling being used to protect an artefact during transport.

The Pentagon said, 'Accidents happen, we are grateful no one was harmed, and the globe is being repaired.' It also dismissed the reporting as 'another inconsequential non-story'.

Restoration and Provenance Questions Remain

The Pentagon has said repairs are underway, but publicly available reporting has not established a restoration timetable, cost or detailed plan for the work. The basis for identifying the damaged object as a replica has also not been fully explained publicly.

Clarification from the US Army Center of Military History could help establish the globe's documented provenance, its present condition, and the procedures governing the handling of historic military objects. These details would help determine what safeguards may be appropriate for future relocations.

The central issue is not simply whether the globe can be repaired. It is whether the Pentagon can establish the object's history and demonstrate that its handling procedures adequately account for the fragility and significance of military artefacts.