After Ike — A Journey That Changed America

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Sunday, May 17, at 2 PM
Saturday, May 23, at 1 PM

In July 1919, under the bright morning sun, 295 military staff and 81 heavy-duty vehicles gathered on the White House's southern side in Washington DC. They were about to set out on a monumental journey across the Lincoln Highway, with Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, 3,251 miles away, as their endpoint.

They ventured without proper maps for the western route, devoid of service stations, depending largely on the scarce knowledge from earlier trailblazers. This convoy became a national sensation, receiving the enthusiastic cheers of millions who thronged the way. Among these 295 participants was a young 28-year-old lieutenant colonel, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Drawing from the convoy's official daily records and supplementary sources, author Michael Owen and producer Gregory Maassen retraced the convoy's precise path — now often secluded backroads or unpaved trails stretching across the vast western terrain. Owen narrates the detailed account of this groundbreaking expedition, while also reflecting on the transformations witnessed along the route over time. "After Ike" captures the essence of a hundred-year-old journey that profoundly reshaped America and continues to leave its mark today.