Dwight D. Eisenhower

Standing upright, straightened with pride, filled with all the bravery for his country that one man could possess, was Dwight D. Eisenhower, the third of seven sons. His bald plate, prominent forehead, and broad mouth, all too large, making his head seem larger than it is. A wonderful, expressive face, it was almost impossible to conceal his feelings. He had a sharp, orderly mind. Most interestingly, he could look at a problem, analyse it, see the alternatives, and choose from them. His personality was that of the outgoing, affable American. What was most important of all was his easy manners, concern for others' welfare, and ability to listen patiently. This mainly contributed to his popularity. People liked him because of his trustworthy nature. His grin, his mannerisms, and his generosity and kindness all showed sincerity.

He was often reminded of his past , the way that life got started for him. He recalled the town of Abilene, Texas, his true home. His story has been told by many people, and this is just another one of those stories.

Eisenhower's parents, David and Ida Stover Eisenhower, both belonged to the River Brethren. They met as students at Lane University. They married in 1855. David's Father, a prosperous farmer, gave them $2,000 and a 160-acre farm as wedding gifts. However, David did not like the drudgery of farming and sold out , investing in a general store in Hope, Kansas. But within three years the business failed. David then went to Denison, Texas , leaving behind a son and pregnant wife. In 1889 he sent for his family to join him. It was there that on October 14, 1890, that Dwight was born. Shortly after they moved back to Abilene, Texas, to their original family home.

He had six brothers, only five alive. Their names were Arthur, Edgar, Roy, Earl, and Milton, who all grew up to have promising careers.

Dwight's father worked at a creamery. The family was poor, and Dwight and his brothers were introduced to hard work and strong religious tradition at an early age. They raised and sold vegetables and found many other jobs to contribute to household expenses.

"Little Ike" as Dwight was called, while his older Brother was called "Big Ike", was a fun loving youth who enjoyed sports while taking only a mild interest in studies. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1909.

It was interesting that most people thought that Big Ike (Edgar) was thought to become the president of the United States of America while Dwight was thought to become a history professor.

Ida held a tight household that was organized and well run, and David ran weekly Bible studies and reading sessions. He and Ida moved towards a more primitive Christianity, eventually joining the Jehovah Witnesses. None of the Eisenhower's sons became devout, Dwight never joined a church and rarely attended church services. The Eisenhowers tried to expose their boys to Christianity more, and even though they knew their sons well they encouraged them to be independent and self-reliant.

Although Dwight was not very popular in the classroom, he stood out in the athletics competition area. After he graduated from High School he went to work in the creamery to support the rest of his family. In 1911 he entered The Military Academy at West Point. Although he chose a military career, he respected his parent's opposition to war. He considered the military a way to learn more and be more disciplined.

Sports were his main interest. That was all he pretty much did. They took up most of his time. At the academy he was pretty much average in categories that were elsewhere. He played mostly football. During his second year he was a halfback on the army team. Many, including sports writers, began to predict that he would be a star, earning many All-American Honors for him. He hoped to be a Star Half-Back. This was his dream. But in his sophomore year he was injured and twisted his knee. This injury ruined his dreams and football career. When this happened his emotions changed. He was a man who lost interest in life. The breakdown also caused him to loose more interest in his studies and he lost most of the discipline he had gained throughout his life.

In 1915 he graduated, ranked at 61st of 164 students in his class. After graduating as a 2nd Lieutenant, he was assigned to Fort Sam Houston, which was near San Antonio, Texas.

While he was off duty he coached sports, mostly football.

When he was off duty one day, he met the daughter of a successful meat packer, Mamie Geneva Doud. She came from a wealthy Denver family and was accustomed to an easy life filled with luxury, which he could not provide for her or any other girl for that matter. It was because of this that she discouraged him but he persisted and on July 1, 1916 , they were married in Denver. The union was a happy one, filled with joy and happiness. It was also on this day that Dwight was promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

The young couple had their first son in 1917, but he died in 1921 when they hired a maid to take care of him who had just recovered from scarlet fever and gave the disease to Doud Dwight Eisenhower. With good luck, however, in 1922 they had another son whom they named John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower. John did have a good future and is still living today. He graduated from the Military Academy on the day that Dwight launched the invasion in Europe. He later became an ambassador to Belgium and married Julie Nixon, daughter of Richard M. Nixon, Dwight's Vice President.

Shortly after the U.S. entered World War I, Dwight was promoted to Captain in 1917. He really wanted to go to France, but he was so good at teaching and commanding others that they kept him in the United States. In March 1918 he took command at Camp Colt, a tank training center in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Here he spent the rest of the war. He learned a great deal about armored warfare and about turning civilians into soldiers. Because of his well done achievements he received a Distinguished Service Award Metal for his services.

After the war he went up to the permanent rank of Major. After commanding several units in the fledgling Tank Corps he was assigned in 1922 as an executive officer of the Twentieth Infantry Battalion in the Panama Canal Zone. There he met General Fox Conner, who simulated the interest in the profession of arms. Conner gave Eisenhower what amounted to a graduate course in Military History. Conner urged and tried hard to get Eisenhower to try to get an assignment under a man named Colonel Marshall. He also impressed on Eisenhower that the next war would be world-wide and those who directed it would have to think in terms of world rather than single-front strategy.

With Conners help, in 1925, Eisenhower went to the Command and General Staff School in Leavenworth, Kansas. Dwight worked very hard and in return for his hard work graduated 1st out of 275. He was then assigned to the Battle Monuments Commission. He went to France two times and wrote a guidebook to the French battlefields. During this time he also attended the Army War College and graduated in 1928.

From 1929 to 1933 he served in the office of the assistant Secretary of War. He made a long report on industrial mobilization in the event of war.

In 1933 he became assistant to the Chief of Staff , General Douglas MacAuthur. MacAuthur was appreciative and depended on Dwight's administrative and writing abilities. When MacAuthur went to the Philippines in 1935 as military adviser to the commonwealth, he took Eisenhower along as senior assistant. Eisenhower spent the next four years in the Philippines helping him build up defenses on the islands. But he made it no secret that he disliked the position he was in and wanted to go home. Also, he became a Lieutenant Colonel and earned pilot wings.

In 1940 he returned to the United states and served as Chief of Staff of the Third Division and Ninth Army Corps, and then of the Third Army, and in 1941 he won notice and rapid promotion to Colonel and Brigadier General. When the United States entered World War II, he served in the office of the Chief of Staff as Chief of the Plans Division and was named a major general. After a survey trip to Great Britain, he was appointed commander of U.S. troops in Europe.

Eisenhower became a Lieutenant General in July 1942. He was also named Commander of Allied Forces organized to invade North Africa. The invasion began in November 1942 and resulted in the recapture of the region from German and Italian forces.

In February 1943, Eisenhower was promoted to the rank of Four-Star General, then the highest in the army. He organized the Allied invasions of Sicily in July 1943 and September 1943. In all of his campaigns his goal and hope was to be able to create unity among the commanders from different nations.

On December 24, 1943 he was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, and the next month he was in London making preparations for the massive thrust in Europe. On June 6, 1944, he chanced his troops on bad weather and ordered the Channel crossed. On August 25, Paris was liberated. Germany surrendered on May 7,1945.

Meanwhile in December 1944, Eisenhower was promoted to a Five-Star General.

In May 1948 he left active duty to become President of Columbia University. However, he was poorly prepared and in 1951 he flew to Paris to become Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

As early as 1943 he was mentioned as a presidential candidate. He was so popular that both the Republicans and Democrats wanted him as their candidate. As the election neared he let it be known that he was on the Republican side and was running as a Republican candidate.

The elections of 1952 and 1956 marked the only times that republicans won the elections between 1932 and 1968 .

During this time of these elections the Korean War was going on. Eisenhower took this as an opportunity to get more attention. He vowed to go to Korea to end the war if he were elected. This campaign pledge clenched his victory. In 1952 he won 422 electoral votes to 89.

Once elected he fulfilled his promise and went to Korea and ended the Korean War.

In September 1955 he suffered a mild heart attack while on vacation in Denver Colorado. In February the next year he announced that he was still going to run in 1956 for president despite health weaknesses. Although he won by a large amount of votes, the Republicans did not win in Congress. This was the first time this had ever occurred in the United States. He was also the first president to come under the 22nd amendment, which makes it so a president can only run and be in the office for two terms.

In 1960 Eisenhower retired and John F. Kennedy succeeded him. After Dwight D. Eisenhower's retirement from office, he and Mamie lived in a rambling but completely modernized farm house in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Ike raised cattle, gave wise council to leaders in political areas, and wrote stories about his experiences on the war fields. Most of the time he was off with the gang playing golf. He even had a golf trophy named after him.

After suffering four heart attacks in retirement ,Ike called his wife, son John, his grandson David, his two doctors, and a nurse to his room. He told them to lower the shades and to pull him up to a near sitting position in bed. Then, holding Mamie's hand, he looked at his grandson and son, and softly let out those final words: "I want to go; God take me." With these words he died.

On March 28, 1969, in Washington D.C, he went out like a general, commanding his troops and in complete control. Dwight D. Eisenhower, better known as Ike, was buried in Abilene, near the remains of his first son Ickey. His death at age 79 was mourned by a nation that still liked, indeed loved, Ike. His last words, that of a true leader. Dwight D. Eisenhower, a hero to all.