Enlarge File photo by J. Scott Applewhite, AP President Bush declares the end of major combat in Iraq on May 1, 2003, as he speaks aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off the California coast. The "Mission Accomplished" banner in the background is now in storage and will become a part of his presidential library's collection. PUBLIC OPINION PUBLIC OPINION From Truman to Obama, see each president's ratings with USA TODAY's approval tracker. As former president George W. Bush broke ground Tuesday in Dallas for his presidential library, officials weighed whether or not to display one item that few know is being held in storage there: the "Mission Accomplished" banner. The banner was the backdrop aboard the USS Lincoln during Bush's televised speech May 1, 2003, to proclaim the end of major combat in Iraq. It caused controversy in the months that followed when violence in Iraq spiraled. The banner now sits in storage and will become part of the library's collection. A decision on how or whether to display the red-white-and-blue banner hasn't been made, said Alan Lowe, director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. Lowe, who is employed by the National Archives, a federal agency, said the military shipped several items, including the banner, to the archives in 2005. About six months ago, the archives transferred the banner to the temporary site for the library in Lewisville, Texas. The permanent library, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, will be on the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas. It is to open in 2013. Before the speech in 2003, Bush landed on the aircraft carrier in a jet and walked on its deck in a flight suit. He thanked the troops, whom he said had prevailed in Iraq. Bush disavowed responsibility for the banner in October of that year, saying his staffers weren't "ingenious" enough to have arranged it. The White House later acknowledged that it had provided the banner at the Navy's request. The Navy said at the time that the banner was intended to honor the sailors who had completed a long deployment. Democrats, including Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, criticized the banner as triumphal posturing. A design firm is sifting through thousands of documents, photos and artifacts to determine items that will be put on permanent display, Lowe said. The library will be dedicated to telling the story of the Bush administration, according to a news release. "Key events and critical decisions will be examined in engaging, interactive exhibits," it said. A spokesman for Bush, David Sherzer, declined to comment, referring questions about the banner to Lowe. In an interview this month with NBC's Matt Lauer, Bush said about displaying the banner, "No question it was a mistake." More than 3,000 people, including friends, supporters and former administration officials attended Tuesday's ceremony. Outside, there were about 100 protesters joined by a handful of counterprotesters. "It is hard to believe there is this much excitement about shoveling dirt," Bush said. Dick Cheney, who looked much thinner after heart surgery this summer, introduced Bush. The former vice president told the crowd he wasn't surprised by the "robust sales" of Bush's book, Decision Points, released last week. "Two years after your tour in the White House ended, judgments are a little more measured than they were," Cheney said. "When the times have been tough and critics have been loud, you've always said you've had faith in history's judgment. And history is beginning to come around." Cheney drew applause when he added, "This may be the only shovel-ready project in America." Contributing: The Associated Press Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more